“One of the great things about Australia, unlike some parts of the world, (where) you go and you’ve got to pay to go to the beach, here, everyone owns the beach,” Mr Albanese said during a TV appearance.
Australians are split over use of portable cabanas to reserve prime spots on the beach – a debate that taps into long-standing class tensions in the country regarding access to the coastline.
Historically, there have been backlashes against attempts to privatise beaches, such as the 1929 Coogee Beach incident where beachgoers had to pay for access to shark-netted areas, and a more recent outcry over an exclusive beach club proposal at Bondi.
Why Australians are split about their beach cabanas Class tensions emerge over beach cabanas in Australia.
While Mr Albanese found beach cabanas “un-Australian”, others argue that they provide essential sun protection, particularly in a country which experiences extreme solar radiation.
