It’s appalling, was how one Noosa detective described the behaviour of teenagers, most from outside the shire, who set off a flare, threw bottles at mounted police, assaulted police and harassed passersby on Main Beach this New Year’s Eve.
“Disgusting, drunken juveniles. It was terrible,” said senior sergeant Anthony Cowan who arrived in Noosa only a couple of weeks ago to take on the role of officer in charge.
“Most kids aren’t from here. They come here with no supervision and run amok. A lot were 13-14 year olds. We were ringing their parents in Brisbane. “They were saying (their children) were going to stay with a friend. Some slept in cars.”
One local 16-year-old who came to the beach to meet friends, surveyed the unruly crowd outside the surf club before telling Noosa Today, “I don’t like seeing Noosa like this” and left the area.
As they have for the past few years thousands of teenagers from across South East Queensland congregated in front of Noosa Heads Surf Lifesaving Club on New Years Eve.
There was no entertainment provided but still the teens came to mingle on the beach in front of Noosa Surf Club with police, ambulance officers and Red Frogs network maintaining order and providing support.
Police from Noosa, Sunshine Coast, Child Protection and Investigation Unit (CPIU) and mounted police from Brisbane operated from a temporary base set up in Hastings Street alongside a medical unit set up by Queensland Ambulance Services officers and a base for Red Frogs Support Network.
Police met arriving buses mid-afternoon, confiscating and emptying out large amounts of alcohol being brought in by underage teenagers.
In a glassing attack about 10.40pm on Main Beach a 15-year-old boy was struck multiple times with a broken bottle.
Two boys fled the scene but were located later in the evening, the second of the two, the last to be caught, about 3.30am.
Detectives from CPIU charged two teenagers after the alleged assault.
A 17-year-old Highgate Hill boy and a 16-year-old Camira boy have each been charged with one count of grievous bodily harm.
The 17-year-old Highgate Hill boy was denied police bail and was to appear in the Maroochydore Childrens Court. The other boy was expected to appear at a later date.
The 15-year-old boy from Victoria was transported to hospital in a stable condition with facial injuries and investigators are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or has relevant vison to contact police.
Snr Sgt Cowan said it was lucky nothing worse happened.
He said a number of juveniles were cautioned for being drunk and disorderly, public nuisance and for offensive language.
Many tourists also travelled to Main Beach expecting to see fireworks at midnight but were disappointed with what they found.
“A lot of good people were waiting for fireworks. It was worse for them. They were good people having a terrible night watching drunken kids,” Snr Sgt Cowan said. “I felt disappointed for those people.”
Snr Sgt Cowan said he would meet with local government authorities and organisations to discuss future action to improve the situation.
“It can’t be encouraged,” he said.
