A remote New South Wales council says it has shelled out tens of thousands of dollars patrolling an often-empty riverside beach because of COVID rules to monitor crowds over summer.
Hay Shire Council received a letter in September, from NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys, that said the council was responsible for implementing and managing COVID-safe plans and adherence to public health orders at beaches and recreational areas.
General manager David Webb said that as a result, council has had to pay its ranger overtime to patrol the beach at Sandy Point Reserve on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River.
Mr Webb said the requirements seemed unnecessary for such a remote beach, 700 kilometres from Sydney.
'Rules for Bondi crowds'
"They put the rules in to cope with Bondi crowds; unfortunately we have to do the same supervision of our beach here," he said.
"I was shocked and immediately got on the phone and wrote letters to say, 'This is not fair for our rural areas', and they sort of said, 'Oh, we didn't think of that', however they still maintain the rules."
Mr Webb said he was concerned about the extra burden on the council's finances.
"It's extra patrols that our ranger has to do everyday and most of that's in overtime because they go down at different hours so that's where the extra cost comes from."
'We'll soldier on'
Mr Webb said an extra staff member had also been employed as a COVID marshal at the local pool.
"It's going to cost an extra $40,000 for the year just for that cost," he said.
"But we need to keep the community safe so we acknowledge that.
"We'll just soldier on as best we can."
In a statement, a NSW Health spokesperson said there were no specific obligations for councils to patrol beaches, and local councils managed decisions on patrolling beaches in their areas.
They said NSW Health was continuing to monitor the situation and would update its advice as required to protect public health and safety.
