Dunsborough Schoolies Abandon Local Plans

[Dominic]

This is of no suprise to me, given the ridiculous situation with wristbands. Did I say it would fall on it's face? Yep. They completely misunderstand the culture of leavers and are disrespectful towards young people. The week ahead look set to include a big flop by organisers and the only thing left is to blame the young people... wait for it - this will all be your fault.

Schoolies run riot

By BRADEN QUARTERMAINE

27nov05

POLICE and school leavers organisers are in despair after a meticulously planned schoolies week backfired in Dunsborough.

Schoolies themselves told The Sunday Times the event had become a farce, as the town's innovative attempts to control unruly revellers unravelled.

Taxpayers paid $30,000 for a fenced "leavers-only zone" on a sports ground, which supplied food, music and entertainment.

But schoolies shunned the strictly no-alcohol set up, saying it was a joke that police on horseback tried to "herd them like sheep" into the area.

It remained empty, with the volunteers the only ones inside.

The leavers instead caused mayhem. The town's roads were strewn with vomit and unused condoms, while gardens were trashed and bottles smashed.

There were several fights.

Dunsborough police officer-in-charge Ian Clarke said some leavers couldn't handle their drink and had complete disregard for others.

"We've been shaking our head all night with some of the stuff that's gone on," Sgt Clarke said.

"One offender was brought to our attention by walking up and head-butting a police horse.

"Dunsborough people have left town (for the week) because they just don't want to be here."

Sgt Clarke said this was the first leavers week in which police had discovered crystal methylamphetamine being used.

An 18-year-old man has been charged with possessing the drug, as well as ecstasy, and others were suspected of using it.

Twelve people were arrested in Dunsborough on Friday night and early yesterday, mainly for drug and assault offences.

Dunsborough Leavers Advisory Committee member Joy Cohen said it was sad that the group's effort in setting up the leavers zone had gone to waste.

"I've volunteered for the past three years and it gets more and more dangerous and more and more out of control," she said.

"It's disheartening to see that kids would rather stand in a car park and smash bottles and fight. They want the drama.

"We've worked seven days a week for six months (planning for this year's leavers). Now it's back to the drawing board."

Ms Cohen said the town did not want the revellers.

"(The students) have only one leavers, but we have to put up with this every year. The ratepayers have to fund a party they don't agree with," she said.

Police said the phenomenon of "toolies", older men who attend post-exam celebrations in the hope of having sex with 17-year-old girls, was again a major blight on Dunsborough.

"We have no tolerance for toolies. Police take a very dim view of them," Sgt Clarke said.

Meanwhile, some schoolies accused police of being harsh and heavy-handed.

A 17-year-old youth said he was arrested for street drinking while having his first beer.

"They full-on dragged me to the car," he said. "There's people there selling ecstasy and they arrest me. It's a joke." Most Dunsborough leavers said they paid about $1000 to fund a four or five-night stay.

Some of Dunsborough locals also think the oval Gulag (sheep pen) is disgusting and agreed that the leavers would just get their backs up and retaliate on the locals.
This is a democracy but leavers are making their own rotten reputations by their disregard for locals and property - hence the pen on the oval. Many of us dont think this idea is good, and while the wristbands help identify preditors, to charge for them stinks. Tax payers forked out about $40,000 in grants, bands should net about $80,000 (based on 4000), while some will be used to repair damages, the pen and lights were a waste. As for the police heavies - this morning in town was disgusting, as they booked and chased everyone including locals. Dunsborough has a very heavy, nasty feeling as a result of this committees all out attempt to caste all leavers as bad. Bet they don't have teenagers!

[Baker]

wow sounds like it went a bit crazy...

cant believe they tried to heard ppl into a fenced area...

I find it difficult to believe that anything particularly crazy is happening. I was down there from the 22nd-27th and will be back from the 29th-3rd and... From what I saw it was very poor. Trying to force leavers' into an area obviously didn't work. All it did was make so******ation difficult as people trudged back and forth looking for an area to congregate. If the 29th-3rd is as poor... Well, it'll be a complete flop.

The people have left town?! Thats bull. No one that I know of has left town just because of leavers. Most of the people here have jobs, if you were to ask your boss for the week off because you didn't like the leavers you'd get fired! (and a great number of people work in the tourism/hospitality area so they interact with leavers as part of their job.....well I do anyway )

Also tell me where the trashed gardens are. I wanna see them with my own two eyes! 40% of the damage is done by LOCALS. Yes thats right locals, I've seen them do it before, heard them brag about how they got away with spray painting something or wrecking something and blaming it on the leavers.

Its all hyped up bull.

Schoolies is conrtoled by the Holy Rollers now. They think that because these kids are drinking and smoking they are tools of the devil or some ****. These people know nothing about teens. They have little kids, only god knows how long since they came into contact with a teenager.

Question: is there any music or a DJ in the pen on Duns Lakes Playing fields?
Because apparently there is supposed to be one. I'd go in there....but I dont have a wrist band....though I know some of the volunteers, I could "borrow" a jacket and have a look.

Anyway......is anyone having fun? Hope you all are coz I wanna see next years leavers here too, and I want it back the way it was, with everyone in Lions Park.

Oh and I just wanna give you all a big Welcome to Dunsborough!

Ok I'm done *Jumps down off her soap box*

[Dominic]

Lions Park... I'm not there but I don't get why all the Leavers aren't just headed there this year? It sounds like the obvious gathering point based on reports from years gone by.

[Ben]

ok well im back from leavers. it was awesome.
thank God i didnt go to dunsborough, i read about all the **** that went on. i cant believe they thought it would work. i dont have much to say but they should have known better.

[KoffiKhan]

it was ****ing hilarious...didnt work at all

yeah the cops were going around asking where u were going, if it wasnt "home" or the "leavers only area" they'd tell you to go back to your accomodation...

inside the place was a joke though....no alcohol...haha, and ****ty music
also when i was in there dancing and making out with some chick the volunteers tap me on the shoulder and start telling me how its a christian thing and that i should keep it clean.....i started laughing my arse off before returning to what i was doing before

but it ended up people wandering around from place to place, someone hears something about the nearby beach being a good place and suddenly there's a channel of people down the street to the beach, some going there to check it out and other returning telling others the cops are already breaking it up....then someone hears something about another place etc etc etc

[rabicle]

Gotta love the way The Sunday Times exists in some extreme version of reality.
Leavers run RIOT
Vomit and unused condoms strewn all over the town

Sensationalist bull****.

And before we all go acting as if the Sunday Times is gospel (at best it's a bit of Friday night hack reporting being called Sunday news), here's an article from the local rag - The Busselton-Dunsborough Mail.

Agressive pepereation pays off

The most aggressive preperation campaign for Leavers Week ever has resulted in one of the quietest events in Dunsborough in years.

Dunsborough police and locals are hailing this year's leavers weeks as the least disruptive in a long time despite an estimated 300 visitors and said community involvement had greatly contributed to the success.....

Dunsborough officer in charge Sgt Ian Clarke said he was pleased with the behaviour of most schoolies.

"There has been a significant drop in incidents from previous years" he said.

[EDogg]

condoms etc everywhere?
n!gga puhlease there was more mess from the cop's horse ****
Ridiculous.

[KoffiKhan]

HAHAHA i remember that....had to be constantly watching where you're going otherwise you'd have a nice smell to follow you around all night....

[SJB2003]

I remember reading this article last sunday.
God damn. What a waste....
But surely they wouldn't have actually thought that schoolies would all just rock up to something like that.


Oh yeah, trust the media to boast the story

[rabicle]

That's funny becuse I was saying the Sunday Times WAS crap.

But lol. The other local paper PRINTED QUOTES FROM THIS THREAD in an article! It was great. Dominic, Ben, LittleOtakuGirl were all quoted although no credit was given ofcourse.

I got back from Dunsborough today. "the zone" was boring as. Fortunaltly i was staying in the camping park so i wasnt in the streets.

Taking the Sunday Times as fact is like saying the di vinci code is all true. I have never read a more pathatic newspaper.

Bahaha, I think the West Australian might be slightly more of a rag than the Sunday Times. A columnist they have there that writes on economic conditions - "Higher wages and inflation aren't linked anymore, anyway." Oh Lordy me.

[Ben]

i got quoted in the newspaper? thats fuking awesome.

i remember 2004 leavers i nearly trod on some horse**** and i just stood there pointing down at it and looking at the cops for like 5 minutes straight and the police just sat on their horses looking at me.