Lived on 320 beautiful acres as a child. Small creek joined the three dams.The maximum we wore was shorts and they were gone when we needed to cool off. Years later I swam in the Fly River, PNG. The local girls loved to join us young blokes. Nobody cared that we were all nude. Forty years ago putting on swimming togs would have been dressing up for the local girls. They dressed up for their dances, reed skirt on the bottom only and a few bits of white paint for appearence.
Now in Australia the only people to notice nudity appear to be adults. Children accept (generally) without question and so they should if they are safe and feel safe. My children werent raised with bad thoughts of their or other peoples bodies.
And not so long ago I lived in an Asian country where brothels are illegal. Surprisingly that was where you could buy genuine scotch whisky and other sought after beverages. Yes the girls solicited on the streets even when my wife was with me.
So what does it all mean. Perhaps there are laws that are enacted to keep a vocal minority quiet. Those who are losing the battle with gravity should accept their age and coverup and shutup if they cant accept the fact that nobody really cares how they look. I am yet to hear a real complaint about nice bodies male or female. Lights out entertainment in public is a different subject. Please dont be offended if I fail to notice your nudity, I just dont care.
Angryant47

“I wonder ludwig, why one would only be concerned about young women and families with small children seeing naked men? Why not naked women? Actually why naked anyone?””

Usual Suspect, no one should be concerned about seeing anyone else naked….in the right setting. It wouldn’t be appropriate in a school, a supermarket or in parliament. But on just about any beach or at any swimming hole, it should be.

“I agree many laws are Claytons Laws, but serve a very useful purpose. For example; I'm all in favour of keeping marijuana illegal. That way, teenagers can do something naughty, that police will normally only give them a slap on the wrist for. Make it legal, and more teenagers will be pressured by their peers to use it, and speed will be the new marijuana. Then legalise speed, and ice is the new speed.”

The trouble with this is that many young people are left not knowing which is the most important; the law or peer pressure. They’ll very often choose peer pressure, as the chance of them getting into trouble with the law for smoking dope is pretty damn small. Then one day they’ll run foul of the law for doing what they’ve been doing without any problem for ages…and they’ll have a hefty fine and maybe a police record to deal with. It could undermine their efforts to get a uni degree or the career they are after and really stuff them around.

It is an interesting point of debate, US, but no, I don’t think Clayton’s laws have got any merit. We all need to know exactly where we stand with the law. The rule of law needs to be asserted and effectively policed.

continued

“I'm more than happy for a police officer to see people blatantly breaking a law, with no obvious victim or anyone being adversely affected, to turn a blind eye.”

If a particular illegal activity can be undertaken with no victim or adverse consequences, then it shouldn’t be illegal under those circumstances. That particular statutory law should be amended to reflect this.

I don’t like the notion of police having huge discretionary powers. Some discretion yes, but sweeping powers to choose to turn a blind eye or to crucify someone for just the same misdemeanour can lead to all sorts of problems of unfair policing, prejudice, racism, or the perception in the community that the police are unfair in these ways.

“If I dont stop for exactly 3 seconds at a stop sign in a deserted town at 3AM with no traffic for miles, I would be disappointed if a police car waiting in the shadows with lights off booked me.”

No doubt you would be. But this happens. Most drivers don’t stop at stop signs if they don’t have to. If they can clearly see that there is no traffic in their way as they approach an intersection, they just go ahead. The cops accept this just about all the time [well, in my part of the world they do]. In fact, they have effectively trained drivers to do this by way of their inaction. Then, once in a blue moon, they’ll sit on some corner and book every driver who doesn’t come to a stationary position. Many people who are good careful drivers and who think they understand the relevant law as accepted by the community and policed as such, get booked.

How do you think that reflects on the police and respect for the law?

The answer to this particular issue is to change practically every confounded stop sign to a giveway sign. In other words, to bring the law into line with accepted practice…...and to make sure the policing regime is consistent and in line with the law, so people know what is acceptable and what isn’t.

Gibo,

You say you don't know of a committed Christian who runs around with no clothes on. Well, I don't run around with no clothes on all that often. I usually relax at nudist venues.

Gibo, you say you don't know any Christian nudists, or do you just not know they are nudist? For that matter, how many nudists (regardless of religion) do you know? The only Christian nudists I know are those I've met through the nudist movement. Do a Google search on Fig Leaf Forum and see for yourself how large the Christian Nudist movement worldwide is.

Incidentally Gibo, once I was at a nudist club, and someone from my church turned up. On another occasion a laspsed Christian turned up at our nudist club, because he wanted to find something to do where there wouldn't be any Christians. He chose the wrong club for that purpose, but nevertheless we encouraged him and he rededicated his life to God.

No, I'm not part of the One World Church plant. I am just a simple Christian attending a small Pentecostal Church who reads my Bible and puts what I believe into practice rather than telling others how to live.

Ludwig,

You just cant legislate for every eventuality. So you want 10 different stop/Give Way signs for different situations? The parking signs are hard enough to read, some of them have 5 different time zones included. It's micro-managing the community. Governments do it to justify their own existence.

Governments are chasing their tales because the plebs are demanding the government to fix their every woe. It's impossible to pass laws for every eventuality and all human behaviour. The Nanny state is a failure. It breeds people who take no responsibility for their own lives, and have no respect for themselves. It also disempowers people who have an ounce of common sense.

Usual Suspect,
I do not think that anyone expects our legislators to make laws for every eventuality, but not to have laws they are not prepared to uphold.

From posts here it seems that public nudity is against the law but is ignored. I think the government has 3 options.

1. Uphold the present laws.

2. Declare all beaches 'clothing optional'.

3. Legislate that some beaches be 'clothing optional' and leave this reponsibility to Local Government to determine which and where.

It is hypocritical for Government to ignor breaches of the present laws and it leaves the system open for abuse if only some people are charged and others not.

In my state prostitution is legal in designated locations and LG has that responsibility. That seems to work without too many hassles. Similar could be implemented for beach nudity.