Local 'legend' blasts disrespectful Australia Day beach act

Aussie beaches have been continuously used as dumping grounds by "lazy" locals and tourists over the summer months with some fed-up residents now taking matters into their own hands.

One local "legend" went to Dalyellup Beach in WA the day after Australia Day to pick up after who he referred to as "scumbags" as piles of rubbish and simmering hot fire coals were left behind on the sand.

"Look at this sh*t," he says in an online video showing a mound of broken glass and used tins left in a fire pit of rubbish which had to be doused with water.

Ryan Branch told Yahoo News Australia he and his family "jumped in the car on Saturday morning with a big tub" in search of rubbish to clean up. "It didn't take us long to fill the tub," he said. "It's just well known that after events like this, there are a number of sites left in a disrespectful way."

Branch said he often heads to the beach to clean up after people because it is "just the right thing to do". "Majority do the right thing, [but] it's the minority that will ruin if for the rest of us," he said.

After posting a video on TikTok blasting the "arrogant" offenders who pollute the beach, many have come forward to praise Branch for his efforts.

"Thank you for picking it up and trying to keep the beaches clean and safe for others. You’re a legend!" one person exclaimed. "That's horrible that people leave it like that, well done for cleaning it up," another said.

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Beaches across Australia littered with trash

Others in the comments shared an update on their local beaches, citing similar issues. "Albany WA. The same on our beaches," one person shared. "I went down the beach for Australia Day with my 2 kids and they ended up picking up half a bag of other people's rubbish," another added.

This behaviour is not just isolated to Western Australia, with Aussies across the nation constantly sharing images of abandoned rubbish, including old camping gear over the last two months. "Australia needs a massive culture change," Branch said.

In Sydney, Eastern Suburbs residents slammed "entitled" beachgoers that left Coogee beach in a "disgusting" state last weekend, with people saying it was a regular occurrence. In Noosa Queensland, residents were left "dumbfounded" by the bad behaviour of tourists who spent their Christmas break camping by the beach.

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