Desperate act at popular beach as cost of living bites: 'Paying is over'
When it comes to the cost of living crisis, 'every little helps', according to one vandal.
As the cost-of-living crisis maintains its grip on people everywhere, there’s no denying that when it comes to cutting costs, every little bit helps. But that sentiment may have gone too far in one beachside car park where vandals attempted to send a message to the local council by destroying two parking meters beyond use in the name of saving cash.
Footage of the scene circulating online sees the words “free parking, every little helps,” spray painted onto the sign. What’s more, the video shows cavity foam stuffed and hardened in every crevice of the two parking meters so that they are unusable.
While the desperate act happened on the other side of the world at a beachside car park on the Cornwall coast in the UK, the incident shared on social media resonated with Australians frustrated at the cost of parking at the beach.
Snap Send Solve CEO Danny Gorog told Yahoo News it speaks to a wider issue "we can't ignore" with beachside vandalism in Australia rising by a huge 129 per cent.
Vandalised parking meters easily replaced, council says
In response to the vandalism of the two parking meters at Gwithian in Cornwall last month, the UK council responsible for the car park told Yahoo News the machines will be replaced.
“Replacement machines and signs are being installed,” a spokesperson said. And despite the best efforts of the vandal, beachgoers must still pay for parking using a cashless parking app.
Beachside parking has long been a contentious topic, with one Aussie fined $136 last month for simply 'checking out the surf' at a popular beach. Someone shared the UK video on TikTok saying “Australians have decided paying for beach parking is over”, despite the incident being in Cornwall. And some Aussies responded congratulating the Cornwall vandals for destroying the meters, saying it was “inspiring”, with some going as far as to say it’s “about time”, and even ask what used to destroy the meters, sparking copycat fears.
“This video made my day, thanks to the person who did this,” said one Aussie.
“What is used to do this? Asking for a mate,” said a second.
“Now the idiots here will try it,” added a third.
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Vandalism hits nerve in Australia as cost of parking soars
The cost of parking at the beach in Australia is notoriously expensive — costing as much as $10 an hour at Sydney's northern beaches and $9.50 an hour in Bondi — and fines for doing the wrong thing can be financially ruinous.
NSW councils have even been told today to stop issuing ticketless parking fines where there has been a 49 per cent jump in use of the system in the 2023-24 financial year.
Snap Send Solve CEO Danny Gorog told Yahoo recent data shows a "notable increase" in vandalism — with a 129 per cent rise in beach vandalism compared to last year.
“Keeping our stunning beaches clean and well-managed is critical for the community to enjoy them. Parking meter vandalism isn’t a minor issue—it reflects broader frustrations we can’t ignore," he said.
"It’s clear the community is feeling the pinch of parking and availability of infrastructure. With summer on the horizon and the inevitable migration of Aussies to the beach approaching, it’s an issue that could easily worsen."
Gorog says beachside incidents can be tackled by beachgoers and authorities working "together to address problems quickly and effectively."
One Australian woman who recently visited New Zealand was left in disbelief at how little a parking fine cost her in Auckland — compared to the cost in Australia.
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