Families left outraged as council admits Bondi Beach is closed for CHILDREN who can't swim - even if they're 'exercising' with their parents
- Families with young children cannot take the kids swimming at Bondi Beach
- The kids must be able to swim unassisted for it to count as essential exercise
- One mother said she almost cried when she was turned away with two children
Bondi Beach may have reopened for exercise, but families with young children are not able to take kids swimming unless they can do it without any help.
Some of the local mothers have accused Waverley Council of discrimination for turning them away with their kids in tow.
Carrie Christensen said she almost cried when a ranger told her she and her young children weren't permitted to be on the beach.
'I was a bit teary,' she told The Daily Telegraph. 'I almost walked in anyway because I had a feeling they couldn't discriminate against us when we're using it for that reason.
Some of the local mothers have accused Waverley Council of discrimination for turning them away when they arrived on the foreshore with children in tow. Pictured: A pregnant woman and her child at the beach on April 28
'We're not playing on the sand, we're swimming and leaving, that's his exercise for the day as well.'
But the Waverley Council argued children are welcome - as long as they can swim or surf unassisted.
'If your child or children can swim or surf or use a surfcraft independently, without help, they can access the water for exercise via our Swim & Go and Surf & Go corridors,' a spokeswoman for Waverley Council said.
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'If your child or children cannot swim or surf independently, then they cannot access the water at this time.'
Ms Christensen said her young son and older daughter were both dressed in wetsuits and couldn't comprehend why they weren't allowed to exercise.
'It's a sh** feeling, they waited for a month (to get back in the water at Bondi) and now they can't, it felt a bit strange and like my son had no voice,' she said.
An electronic sign board showing ''Beach closed '' in early hours of May 3 as a surfer makes his way to the sea to exercise
Beachgoers enjoy their first swim after Bondi Beach reopened following a five week closure in Sydney on April 28
Bondi, Bronte and Tamarama beaches in Sydney's eastern suburbs reopened for 'exercise only' in late April, five weeks after they were shut down due to visitors flouting social distancing rules during the coronavirus crisis.
Mayor Paula Masselos sparked outrage when she declared the 'swim and go' and 'surf and go' measures were strictly for residents in the Waverley local government area.
'People are not meant to be jumping in a car and travelling any significant distance to get to a beach,' she said at the time.
'As soon as it's safe to do so then people are welcome but we're in the middle of the pandemic.'
A beach closed information sign is seen on Bondi Beach after it was reopened for swimming and surfing on April 28. Children who cannot swim unassisted cannot enter the sea
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