Premier lays down bold new beach ‘rules’ as the CoolCabanas war takes a surprise new twist in shock outburst

NSW Premier Chris Minns has weighed in on a fierce debate about the use of portable gazebos on Australia’s prime beaches. 

Cabanas and their much-needed shade have become increasingly popular on Aussie beaches – but a debate has broken out over the use of shelters to reserve spots on the shoreline. 

Aussies have shared images of gazebos lying empty on the sand while other beachgoers are forced to fight over what little spots are left.

Some have lambasted the act as ‘un-Australian’ while others have applauded their ingenuity.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Mr Minns laid down some ground rules for the use of cabanas and said their owners shouldn’t leave the beach.

‘You can’t like, put a peg in the ground and claim the land is yours with the cabana, like Richard Nixon did with the moon,’ he said.

‘It doesn’t work that way. You can’t just stick a cabana up and lay claim to it.’

Mr Minns then revealed his ‘rules’.

Beach cabanas and their much-needed shade have become increasingly popular on Aussie beaches 

‘You have to have one of your stupid friends who agrees to go down there early in the day and have a rotation process,’ he said.

‘You can have one person, one person’s enough, and they can be sleeping or hungover or reading a crap novel.

‘They can even use the beach, you can go for a swim, but you have to be on site on the beach.’

Mr Minns’ comments have been applauded on social media.

‘This is the most beautiful and unexpected crossover of all time,’ one Instagram user wrote. 

‘Together we can stop the spread (of coolcabanas),’ another wrote. 

Daily Mail Australia contacted Mr Minns for comment. 

A debate has broken out online over the use of cabanas to reserve spots on the shoreline 

Mr Minns is only the latest politician to speak out on the use of cabanas.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also dipped his toe in the cabana waters. 

During an appearance on Today, Mr Albanese said the practice was ‘not on’ and against the country’s egalitarian spirit.

‘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,’ he said.

‘It’s a place where every Australian is equal. And that’s a breach of that principle, really, to think that you can reserve a little spot as just yours.’