Topless sunbaking area Cairns beach 'is here to stay'

Melbourne, July 4 : Esplanade Lagoon, the topless sunbaking area at a popular Cairns beach will stay, despite public fears that it might be attracting eve teasers into the city.

Lagoon regular Renny Dagostino, Earlville truck driver, said that a strict dress code at the popular spot would help sought out the undesirables.

"Women shouldn't be allowed to be topless down there, of course, men are going to go down there and look and whistle," News.com.au quoted Dagostino, as saying.

"If they want to dress like that, they should do it at home in the back yard, not in a family environment where you can take your kids," Dagostino added.

Cairns Mayor Val Schier said that she understood there were objections to topless sunbaking at the Lagoon.

However, she stood by previous mayor Kevin Byrne's decision five years ago to set aside the northern grassed area for that purpose.

"I certainly have had feedback that some families and others don't frequent that area because they are not comfortable with nudity and it is certainly offensive to them," Schier said.

"But, at the same time, the majority of people do accept it these days.

"We get very few complaints, maybe because most people have either accepted it or they just go elsewhere. Personally, I'm relaxed about it," she added.

ANI