Divisive act at public BBQs infuriates Aussies: 'It's not hard'

Getting together over a BBQ is a great Australian pass time, but families have been left disappointed at the 'appalling' state of local amenities.

A group looking to have a BBQ on the Noosa river were left disappointed having to spend 30 minutes cleaning up for those who came before them. Source: Facebook
A group looking to have a BBQ on the Noosa river were left disappointed having to spend 30 minutes cleaning up for those who came before them. Source: Facebook

There’s no better Aussie pass time than getting together with friends and family at the local park or beach to enjoy a snag from the barbie. But what happens, when on arrival, the publically available BBQs are so dirty they are practically unusable?

This was the scene at the barbecue area at Noosa River on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast when a group came together for a party only to be confronted with all four barbecue hot plates covered in a thick layer of black grime and residue from another group’s cook-up.

“Appalling,” the group lamented online. “Where are the cleaners that used to keep this area clean?”

The group, who said they were there on Saturday, said it took 30 minutes to get all the grime off the hot plate before they could use it.

The disgusting state of the public BBQ has infuriated Aussies
The disgusting state of the public BBQ has infuriated Aussies

While the group were aiming their gripe at Noosa Shire Council who maintain the amenities at local parks, many residents were quick to point out that it’s an unspoken rule that those who use the grills should be cleaning them afterwards.

“The people using it should be cleaning it after out of respect of the community, sad to see,” said one Aussie.

“Sad that people don't feel the need to leave communal equipment clean for the next visitors,” said another.

“The grubs who left it like that should be cleaning it,” added a third. “It's not hard to clean up your own mess. Some people are that entitled that they think it's for someone else to do just because it's a public bbq.”

Admittedly, cleaning public BBQs after their use can feel like a monumental task. But one Aussie has a simple hack to make the process a little less painful.

"If you come to the BBQ plate and it's trashed, or you don't want to trash it for the next person — but you don't want to spend the next hour cleaning it — do this."

In a video posted online, the man pours water over the hotplate to help loosen grime. When the hotplate warms up, he simply places a sheet of baking paper over the top. Because of the water, the paper sticks to the hotplate, creating a clean cooking surface.

A public BBQ hotplate with water being poured on it (left) and food being placed on top of baking paper (middle and right).
The BBQ hack posted to social media went viral for all the right reasons. Source: Tiktok

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