Couple blasted for trashing Aussie beach in 'disgusting' act
A marriage proposal hasn't left local residents feeling the love.
An angry resident has slammed an unknown couple for trashing a popular Sydney beach all in the name of love. The woman who came across the mess at Balmoral Beach in Sydney's lower north shore took to Facebook to complain about the rubbish left behind by the newly-engaged couple on Sunday afternoon.
"Did anyone catch the contact details or take a photo of the engagement that happened on the south end of Balmoral yesterday afternoon?" the Mosman resident asked in a community group. "They left behind all of their trash, hundreds of plastic rose petals, sharp stakes sticking out of the sand and zip ties everywhere, just metres from our beautiful ocean."
"What a way to celebrate love hey?" she added in the post, along with several photos of rubbish littered all over the beach. The frustrated woman also blasted an event business which she believes was behind the display. "To the company who set this up, what a way to conduct your business," she added. "Nature is not just your background, it is a living being that needs care. We are lucky to experience life in a place that is so beautiful, but it only stays that way if you don't make it worse with your presence. If you are going to enjoy it, take some responsibility and don't trash it. It's really not that hard."
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According to the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA), littering is a massive problem in Australia, as the estimated cost of litter services nationally reaches between $300 million and $350 million annually. Plastics left on beaches can have a harmful effect on marine animals, the agency says, as it can pollute the water they live in, be mistaken for food, and can lead to injury or even death.
'Disgusting'
Hundreds of other residents supported the woman's concerns, equally disgusted by the couple's actions. "Unbelievable that people would even think of doing this when we know so much better. They should be fined and forced to do proper clean-up," one group member commented, while another chimed: "This is disgusting, and I hope they receive a fine. Plastic rose petals shouldn't be produced in the first place. What a waste."
One Sydney local shared he had witnessed similar behaviour at Middle Head, a popular lookout spot in Sydney Harbour National Park. "There was a large group taking wedding photos. They were there a while and were eating McDonald's. When they were done, they just got up and left all their half-eaten food and rubbish behind," the man related.
This follows a similar incident last month where thousands of people descended on Sydney's Bronte Beach on Christmas Day and left it in appalling state, with mounds of rubbish littered across the coastline. Another Sydney beach was trashed on Australia Day last year after beachgoers left rubbish such as tyre tubes and assorted holiday items all over the place.
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