Opposition to the proposed paid beach parking scheme is continuing to grow in Maroubra, where residents and business owners say the changes could reshape the character of the suburb and make beach access harder for families.
The proposal would introduce paid parking for visitors near beaches across Randwick’s coastline, including Maroubra Beach. Residents would receive free permits under the scheme, although Council is now reviewing how many permits each household would receive after strong public backlash.
The parking changes are intended to help cover rising beach maintenance costs and improve parking turnover in busy coastal areas. According to council figures, annual maintenance costs across local beaches total about $23 million.
Longtime Residents Reject ‘Pay to Visit the Beach’
Many Maroubra residents say the proposal conflicts with the suburb’s long-standing beach culture and community identity. A longtime resident recalled earlier attempts to introduce parking meters in Maroubra decades ago also faced strong resistance from locals.
Several residents have also raised concerns about larger households with multiple vehicles and the impact paid parking may have on visiting family members, workers and younger drivers.
Photo Credit: RandwickCC
Maroubra Businesses Fear Changes to Local Atmosphere
Business owners near Maroubra Beach are also watching the proposal closely amid concerns parking charges could discourage people from spending time in the area.
Some owners said they were already facing difficult conditions and feared higher parking costs could affect regular customer visits. The residents have also expressed concern the changes could shift the atmosphere of Maroubra toward a more tourist-focused beach culture similar to other parts of Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
South Maroubra Chamber of Commerce president Richard Walsh said expectations that parking meters would solve congestion problems during summer weekends were unrealistic.
Randwick Council has not yet announced when a final version of the parking proposal will be presented.
Troy Reardon was 23, weighed 65 kilograms, and was using ice every day when a friend knocked on his window one night and told him there was a rehab centre waiting for him. That moment, and the community that made it possible, is why the 33-year-old Maroubra landscaper and youth mentor is still alive today.
Reardon has been sober for nearly a decade. He is now a homeowner, a business owner and a father. He runs a fitness and mentoring programme called Side by Side at Maroubra Beach, has spoken at schools including Waverley College, and is launching a gambling support group that drew 100 sign-ups within 24 hours of being announced.
The through-line connecting all of it is a single group of people: the Bra Boys, the Maroubra surf community whose unwavering support, in his telling, is the reason he is here at all.
“Without some of my Bra Boy friends, I would not be sober today,” Reardon says. “They would drive me to rehab. They took me to detox. They answered the call every single day.”
Growing Up in Maroubra
Reardon grew up in public housing near Maroubra Beach, in a suburb that has always meant something particular. For those who know it, Maroubra is not just a beach. It is a community with a deep, sometimes complicated identity, shaped by generations of working-class families, a fierce local loyalty and the kind of bonds formed when people grow up in proximity and necessity.
That environment, at its best, produces exactly the kind of connection that saved Reardon’s life. At its most difficult, it was also the context he was navigating as a child.
“I’d come home at the age of 8 and have to resuscitate people who had overdosed in the hallway,” he recalls. His father was largely absent. His mother, who worked three jobs to provide for him, was dealing with her own addiction. Born with a rare birthmark on his head, Reardon was also a target for bullies from a young age, and by 16 he had found a temporary solution in gambling.
“It numbed me. It was a sense of relief. I’d found the solution to my insecurity around my birthmark, my childhood,” he said.
The gambling gave way to cocaine and ecstasy. A first stint in rehab at 19 was followed by a turn to ice. The violence that ran alongside his addiction left him with serious physical injuries, including a stabbing to the jugular in an argument at the beach. He describes the hospitalisation visits across that period as simply “out of this world.”
The Community That Pulled Him Back
The Bra Boys were founded in Maroubra in the 1990s, cemented in the suburb’s surf culture and in the postcode pride that the name reflects. “Bra” is a shortened reference to Maroubra, and partly to the street slang for brother. Members tattoo “My Brother’s Keeper” across the chest, “Bra Boys” and the Maroubra postcode 2035 across their backs.
The 2007 documentary Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water, written and directed by members including Sunny Abberton and narrated by Russell Crowe, introduced the group to a national and international audience, drawing on the stories of the Abberton brothers, particularly the surfing notoriety of Koby Abberton.
The group has never been straightforward. Its history includes serious criminal convictions, links to organised crime investigations and documented violence. Reardon does not pretend his years within that world were free of harm. “It was carnage,” he says simply.
But the Bra Boys are also defined by a code of loyalty and mutual support that is real and documented, and it was that side of the group that reached Reardon when he needed it most.
The friend who knocked on his window, who drove him to detox and answered calls during the darkest periods, embodied what the “My Brother’s Keeper” motto has always meant in practice.
“I was super-emotional but I told myself I was going to be OK,” Reardon said of the night he finally accepted help. “I stopped taking drugs but I was still so lost. I knew it was the right choice but the happiness wasn’t there straight away. I just had to go day by day and trust the process.”
From Surviving to Mentoring Hundreds
Nearly a decade of sobriety has given Reardon a platform and a purpose. He now runs a fitness and mentoring program at Maroubra Beach, using his story to connect with young people and steer them away from the path he once took. The program works alongside The 400 Club and other community based fitness groups.
Reardon also leads Side by Side, which builds on this work, and regularly speaks at schools including Waverley College, where his lived experience resonates with students from similar backgrounds.
Giving Back to the Community
He is preparing to launch a gambling support group, which attracted 100 expressions of interest in a single day. The response reflects both the scale of the issue and the trust he has built within the community.
Reardon continues to live in Maroubra by choice, staying close to the place that shaped his life and supported his recovery.
“I’ve broken the cycle,” he said. “My son will never go through what I did.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 (free call, 24 hours). For gambling support, contact Gambling Help Online on 1800 858 858. For mental health support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Fangqi Peng, 30, was at Maroubra Beach on Sunday afternoon with three friends who were collecting sea snails along the shoreline.
He entered the water alone to try a newly purchased diving mask, telling the group he would return shortly. The others continued searching along the rocks and shoreline, but their view was partially blocked and they did not see him return.
When the group prepared to leave, they realised Peng had not come back. Emergency services were alerted about 4 p.m. on Sunday, 1 February, after lifesavers also noticed a swimmer enter the water and not return to shore.
The beach was cleared as a precaution while the search commenced, with helicopters and watercraft deployed during the response.
Search Conditions And Recovery
Search crews continued efforts over the following days, with sea conditions affecting operations at times. Police later confirmed a man’s body was located at about 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday, 3 February.
Formal identification processes were still to be completed at the time of reporting, but police said the body was believed to be the missing swimmer. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Peng had moved to Australia from Harbin in north-eastern China more than two years ago. He was studying at university and working part-time in construction.
Friends said he regularly visited Maroubra Beach to collect sea snails and was confident in the water.
Emergency services have suspended their search for a man in his 30s who disappeared while swimming at the southern end of Maroubra Beach on Sunday afternoon.
The man entered the water around 4pm but failed to return to shore, prompting lifesavers who witnessed him going into the surf to raise the alarm when he did not resurface.
A major multi-agency response swung into action, with multiple helicopter crews scanning the area from above whilst jet skis and water police conducted searches from the water. The entire beach was evacuated following a shark alarm as emergency crews flooded the coastline.
According to NSW Police, the man was with friends at the time of the incident. Officers from the Eastern Beaches Police Area Command coordinated the response alongside Marine Area Command, Surf Life Saving NSW, and aerial support from the LifeSaver21 helicopter.
However, worsening weather conditions and fading light forced authorities to make the difficult decision to suspend the search around 6pm on Sunday evening. Deteriorating visibility as a storm system moved through the area meant helicopter crews had to be grounded, with conditions deemed too dangerous to continue operations safely.
The search resumed at 8am on Tuesday morning, with similar resources deployed despite challenging sea conditions continuing to hamper efforts.
The incident marks another tragedy for the local beach community during what has been a particularly dangerous summer period for Sydney’s coastline. Earlier in the New Year period, multiple drownings and rescues occurred across Sydney’s eastern beaches, prompting authorities to issue repeated warnings about dangerous surf conditions.
Maroubra Beach was temporarily closed on Sunday afternoon after a member of the public reported seeing a shark in the water, adding to a string of closures across Sydney beaches during the Australia Day long weekend.
The alarm was raised just after midday on Sunday, with swimmers evacuated from the water as a precautionary measure. The beach was quickly reopened around 12.25pm after drone surveillance and patrol found no sharks in the area, according to Surf Life Saving NSW.
Local beachgoer Olea Chu described hearing the horn blast at noon, followed by an announcement urging everyone to exit the water. Around 20 minutes later, a second horn sounded to alert the public that the shark had gone.
“It was a bit of a surprise because it’s our first time at the beach,” Ms Chu said. Despite the brief scare, she said she still felt safe thanks to the lifeguards on duty.
The closure came during a busy weekend for Sydney’s coastal lifesavers, who managed multiple beach evacuations across the metropolitan area following several shark sightings. The precautionary measures were implemented after four shark attacks occurred in less than 48 hours earlier in the week.
On Monday, Australia Day celebrations were disrupted along the NSW coast with closures at multiple popular beaches including Manly Beach, which was shut twice following fresh shark sightings, and Palm Beach, which also saw a brief closure.
Further north on the Central Coast, Terrigal Beach closed and reopened twice over the long weekend after separate shark sightings on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.
As of Thursday morning, Palm Beach on Sydney’s Northern Beaches remained closed following another shark sighting, with beachgoers urged to follow lifeguard instructions and stay out of the water while monitoring continues.
Surf Life Saving NSW has encouraged beachgoers to follow lifeguard instructions and remain out of the water at closed beaches, as patrols and monitoring continue.
Maroubra has emerged as one of Sydney’s most high-risk surf beaches, with long-term data showing it records the equal highest number of fatal drownings among sandy beaches in the city.
Data spanning more than 20 years shows Maroubra Beach recorded 10 fatal drownings between July 2002 and early January 2026. This is the highest number recorded at any Sydney sandy beach during that period, shared with Bondi Beach.
Across Sydney, 79 confirmed drowning deaths were recorded at sandy beaches over the same timeframe. These figures do not include incidents involving rock platforms, ocean pools or boating activities.
The National Drowning Report 2025, produced by Royal Life Saving Australia in partnership with Surf Life Saving Australia, recorded 357 drowning deaths nationwide over the past 12 months.
This figure sits 27 per cent above the 10-year average. The report found 43 per cent of drowning deaths occurred in coastal locations, including 82 deaths at beaches.
Who Faces The Greatest Risk
While children aged five to 14 recorded the lowest drowning rates, risk increased sharply among people aged 15 to 24. Drowning rates were above the long-term average for every age group over 45.
One-third of all drowning deaths involved adults aged 65 and over, with the highest rates recorded among those aged 75 and older.
Experts attribute part of the recent increase in drowning deaths to changes in coastal behaviour following pandemic disruptions. These include missed swimming lessons, increased boating activity and greater exposure to uncontrolled or remote coastal locations.
Public awareness of beach hazards does not always translate into safer decision-making, particularly in exposed surf environments.
How Maroubra Compares Across Sydney
Mapping of drowning deaths across Sydney’s surf beaches over more than two decades shows Maroubra consistently ranks among the locations with the highest number of fatal incidents at sandy beaches.
This places Maroubra as a clear example of broader coastal safety risks identified at both city and national levels.
Long-term data shows Maroubra remains one of Sydney’s most consistently high-risk surf beaches. National figures indicate coastal environments continue to account for a significant share of drowning deaths, reinforcing the ongoing importance of beach safety awareness.
Wild conditions and a vicious shore break at Maroubra tested Australia’s elite ironmen and ironwomen in round five of the Shaw and Partners Iron Series, with a captivating generational battle emerging at the top of the leaderboard.
The local beach’s washing machine-like surf proved the perfect testing ground for 19-year-old rising star Ethan Callaghan to claim his second series win of the season, drawing level with his childhood hero Ali Day on 112 points with just two rounds remaining.
Photo credit: Facebook/Shaw and Partners Iron Series
For Day, the 10-time Coolangatta Gold champion who retired from that prestigious event after his October victory, Maroubra delivered a setback to his hopes of claiming another professional series title. The ironman great could only manage fifth place as Callaghan led from the front in treacherous conditions.
The weekend’s racing at Maroubra showcased both the skill and endurance required in surf lifesaving competition. Competitors found themselves in battles of survival as waves swallowed athletes, equipment soared through the air, and the vicious shore break tested even the most experienced campaigners.
Conditions were brutal, according to 21-year-old Callum Brennan, who won Saturday’s round four and sits third overall on 107 points, just five behind the leaders. The young gun from Currumbin described the racing as hectic as competitors battled the elements.
For Callaghan, the Burleigh Heads ironman whose father Travis competed in the Uncle Toby’s series in the early 2000s, the Maroubra triumph was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking. The teenager admitted to significant anxiety heading into the ski leg, where he remains the least experienced paddler in the professional field. Despite his concerns about the challenging surf, Callaghan acknowledged he’s still learning but was pleased with how the race unfolded.
He beat Burleigh clubmate Joel Piper and Northcliffe’s Zach Morris for a Queensland sweep of the podium on Sunday.
The significance of Callaghan’s performance extends beyond the points table. Just a season ago, he was a Next Gen competitor who had won a spot in his first professional field alongside the man he’d idolised growing up. Now he’s threatening to deny Day another series crown.
Callaghan has previously spoken about his admiration for Day, citing the resilience and toughness the champion showed in coming back from potentially career-ending injuries to return to the top of the game and establish himself as one of the greatest ironmen of all time. Those same qualities of mental fortitude and determination will be crucial as the teenager seeks to maintain his momentum heading into the final rounds.
The women’s competition delivered its own breakthrough moment at Maroubra, with Burleigh’s Lily O’Sullivan claiming her maiden round win despite being confined to bed with illness in the days before competition. O’Sullivan defeated Newport’s Lizzie Welborn and Northcliffe’s Emily Doyle, moving into 10th place overall.
Photo credit: Facebook/Shaw and Partners Iron Series
In the women’s overall standings, Lucy Derbyshire and Carla Papac share top spot on 114 points, with Tiarnee Massie third on 97 points.
The competitor said her illness may have worked in her favour, forcing her to race smartly rather than rely on superior fitness in the challenging surf conditions. O’Sullivan described the victory as the fulfilment of a dream she’d held since she was about five years old, having spent the past five years in the series watching other competitors before finally claiming her first win. She expressed immense pride in the achievement.
The weekend’s competition at Maroubra also carried deeper significance for the surf lifesaving community. Newport’s Charlie Verco, who finished second in Saturday’s ironman, spoke about the resilience shown by local clubs in the wake of the Bondi tragedy in December.
Verco, who happened to be at Bondi on the night of the shooting attack, described the experience as frightening. He reflected on how the incident dramatically changed the beachside community in the following weeks, with crowds dropping from tens of thousands to almost nothing as Bondi became a ghost town patrolled by police officers. However, he noted the beach has bounced back quickly with strong community support.
The Sydney surf lifesaver praised the volunteer lifesavers who opened their clubs and rushed to help those injured and affected by the shooting attack. He emphasised that these volunteers, who typically deal with swimming and surf-related emergencies, showed remarkable bravery by putting their lives on the line in circumstances they were never prepared for. The tragedy, Verco suggested, highlighted the dedication and courage within the surf lifesaving movement.
As the series heads to the Gold Coast for its final two rounds on January 31 and February 1, the battle lines are drawn. Callaghan and Day remain locked together at the top, with young gun Brennan lurking just behind.
Maroubra is included in the published program for the Ocean Lovers Festival 2026, with a coastal foraging walk scheduled as part of the festival’s month-long series of ocean-focused activities across Sydney.
Founded in Bondi in 2019, the Ocean Lovers Festival returns in March 2026 for its sixth year, continuing its evolution into a citywide event spanning Sydney’s coastline and harbour. The festival now runs across multiple locations throughout March, reflecting its expansion beyond its original Bondi setting.
The 2026 program operates under the theme “Dive into Discovery & Wonder” and is structured around the pillars of discovery, action and fun. Maroubra is listed among the participating suburbs, alongside Bondi, Manly, North Sydney and other harbour-side locations, as part of this broader coastal approach.
Photo Credit: Ocean Lovers Festival
Coastal Foraging Walk Scheduled At Maroubra Beach
The Maroubra-based activity listed in the program is a coastal foraging walk scheduled for Saturday, 21 March 2026, commencing at 10 a.m. The event will begin outside the Pavilion Beachfront at Maroubra Beach and take place along South Maroubra.
The walk will be led by plant-based chef Elijah Attard, who is known for his work with wild and foraged ingredients. Participants will be guided along a route of approximately 1.5 kilometres, covering a mix of pavement, sand and grass, with some uneven terrain.
Learning Through Coastal Exploration
The session focuses on identifying edible coastal plants and developing an understanding of the diverse flora found along Sydney’s shoreline. The walk combines food knowledge with environmental awareness, encouraging participants to engage directly with their local coastal landscape.
Children aged six and over are permitted to attend when supervised. The event is weather dependent and may be rescheduled in the event of heavy rain or strong winds. Attendees are advised to wear comfortable shoes and bring sun protection and water.
The walk concludes near the starting point, with participants given the option to join a post-walk ocean dip or coffee, with coffee not included.
The Ocean Lovers Festival 2026 runs from 1 March to 31 March, beginning with beach clean activities linked to Clean Up Australia Day and concluding with the SEA the Weed sunrise ceremony on 27 March at North Bondi.
Powerful surf in recent months has shifted large volumes of sand from the northern end of Maroubra Beach, uncovering a significant section of the Hereward, the three-masted iron clipper that ran aground more than a century ago.
In the past two months, large surf events have removed enough sand to reveal a much larger portion of the Hereward’s hull than is typical. The wreck lies about 50 metres from shore in roughly three metres of water depending on the tide, and it sits under a surf break.
Lifeguards are advising caution: because of surf conditions and underwater structure, only snorkellers with good experience should consider approaching.
Hereward in 2013 (Photo credit: Facebook/Randwick City Council)
The Hereward has long been of interest to local heritage and maritime historians. When it was previously exposed in 2013, a bronze cannon was recovered and is now displayed at the Maroubra Seals Club. The wreck is protected under federal heritage legislation, and removal of any part is prohibited.
History of the Hereward
The wreck of the HEREWARD on Maroubra Beach in May 1898 attracted a great deal of public interest (Photo credit: No restrictions/Australian National Maritime Museum on The Commons/Wikimedia Commons)
The Hereward was a full-rigged iron clipper built in Glasgow in 1877. It weighed around 1,513 tons and had three masts. The ship was making a coastal passage up the New South Wales coast on 5 May 1898 when it encountered a violent storm that ripped its sails to pieces.
Photo credit: Public Domain/State Library of New South Wales, PXA 1152/Vol. 8/Wikimedia Commons
Despite the chaos, the Hereward managed to avoid two rocky reef formations near Maroubra and came to rest on the soft sand at the beach’s northern end. Miraculously, all 25 crew members reached shore safely, reportedly making their way to a nearby wool-scouring works.
Attempts to refloat the vessel later that year were unsuccessful. Tugs pulled the ship off the beach, but another gale forced it back out, and subsequent wave action broke the hull into two. Over time, most of the wreck buried beneath shifting sand. By 1937, only a triangular “dorsal fin” of the hull was visible, according to historical records.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Randwick City Council and navy divers carried out controlled blasting of exposed metal to reduce danger to swimmers and surfers. Nonetheless, substantial parts of the wreck remain under the seabed, occasionally resurfacing when conditions permit.
For residents of Maroubra, the re-emergence of the Hereward is not just a historical curiosity—it’s a tangible link to the suburb’s past and an ongoing reminder of the power of nature. As the ocean continues to reshape the beach, the Hereward periodically offers glimpses of a bygone era, resurfacing when the surf allows.
Work began in early October 2025, with the gym scheduled to open in mid-November. The new facility will sit beside the Maroubra Skate Park at the south end of the beach.
It will replace the existing gym near the Surf Life Saving Club, which is being removed to make way for improvements to the playground area. The project by Randwick City Council aims to upgrade community recreation facilities and promote healthy living for residents.
Features of the New Facility
The new gym will feature a wide range of strength and cardio equipment, including an elliptical trainer, step-up station, chest press, pull-downs, leg press, parallel bars, monkey bars, pull-up bars, and sit-up benches.
This marks a significant upgrade from the 2013 gym, which focused on low-impact exercise for older residents. The equipment will cater to a wider age group, encouraging both casual and fitness-focused users to work out outdoors.
Community Consultation and Feedback
Council consulted the community in February and March 2025, receiving 170 responses on equipment preferences and surface design.
Residents supported relocating the gym to a more open and accessible area near the skate park. The consultation reflected local interest in inclusive recreation spaces and durable fitness infrastructure.
Council’s Broader Health Focus
Deputy Mayor Clare Willington said the project reflects the council’s ongoing investment in public health and social connection.
The Maroubra upgrade follows the opening of Little Bay’s first outdoor gym in August 2025, with another planned at Coral Sea Park in the coming year. Together, these projects support the council’s goal of improving public open spaces and encouraging active lifestyles.
