In early September, Cronulla officially joined 23 other National Surfing Reserve sites around Australia. Cronulla is NSW’s fifth National Surfing Reserve (the others are Angourie, Crescent Head, Lennox Head and Maroubra). Recognised by the NSW Department of Lands, Cronulla is now gazetted by the department under terms of the Crown Lands Act of 1989. The zone covered extends 500 metres to sea from the mean high tide line (see map above).
Declaring a surf reserve means officially recognising its cultural and historical importance to Australian surf culture (something Cronulla and the other sites clearly have!). Beyond that, it also means that interested groups can form a Board of Management to promote and protect the site. This might for instance mean devising a management plan for the area or acting as an advocate when developments are proposed that might affect the reserve.
According to a paper published in 2007 for the 9th International Coastal Symposium, co-authors Dr. Andrew Short and National Surfing Reserves chairman Brad Farmer outline three broad purposes for declaring a surfing reserve: formal recognition of the surfing significance and quality of the surf; recognition of the long and close links of surfers and the surf spot(s); and, to assist in the long term preservation of the site for future surfers.
The very first surfing reserve was established by the Victorian state government in 1973 at Bells Beach.
