- Melbourne’s St Kilda foreshore was turned into rubbish dump by 5,000 revellers
- Police inspector Jason Kelly said it was an ‘unplanned event’ on Christmas night
- Two men were arrested for public drunkenness while man, 27, was hit by a tram
Melbourne’s St Kilda foreshore has been desecrated as more than 5,000 Christmas night revellers scattered rubbish and bottles across the waterfront during a wild ‘unplanned’ party.
The grass overlooking Port Phillip bay was turned into a rubbish dump during an illegal night of outdoor drinking that saw two men arrested for public drunkenness, a 27-year-old man hit by a tram and a woman taken to hospital.
Inspector Jason Kelly said more than 5,000 people had packed the South Beach foreshore from the late afternoon into the night as part of an ‘unplanned event’ which caused traffic chaos.
Melbourne’s St Kilda foreshore was turned into the scene of an ‘unplanned’ Christmas party
More than 5,000 revellers had a cheeky Christmas party on St Kilda’s South Beach foreshore
By the early evening, piles of rubbish was seen piled up on the grass of the St Kilda foreshore
‘What really disappoints Victoria Police is the level of intoxication that occurred here tonight as evidenced by the amount of rubbish left behind,’ he told reporters on Monday night.
‘We’ve had a number of people injured as a result of people stepping on glass.
‘What people need to do is respect the local community, respect the local environment. It’s very disappointing. It’s not acceptable.
‘Unfortunately, tonight we’ve seen some incidents that are below the line.’
City of Port Phillip Council is banning alcohol outdoors from Boxing Day until January 4, 2018
The aftermath of the Christmas party was messy, with police calling it ‘unacceptable’
Alcohol could be consumed outdoors until 8pm but many continued drinking after that time
Police resources from across Melbourne were deployed ‘as a result of large amounts of intoxication and alcohol consumption’ which was in breach of a council by-law which banned drinking booze on the foreshore after 8pm.
A total alcohol ban on the foreshore is coming into effect on Tuesday until January 4.
‘Anyone expecting to come down on Boxing Day to the St Kilda foreshore and expecting to consume alcohol and we will be enforcing that by-law,’ Inspector Kelly said.
City of Port Phillip council workers have spent Tuesday morning cleaning up the St Kilda foreshore.
After many drinks, the revellers at St Kilda struggled to do the right thing with their rubbish
The police weren’t in such a festive spirit after seeing bad behaviour on Christmas night
Council workers have spent all morning cleaning up the St Kilda foreshore after a wild night