Contested spaces: we shall fight on the beaches...

Picture this. It's a beautiful sunny day. You arrive on the beach, find yourself a nice quiet area away from the crowds and set yourself up for a day of relaxation and fun in the sun. But then a large group arrives and sets themselves up right next to you. They're drinking heavily, swearing loudly and leaving their rubbish in the sand. And things are about to get worse. In the distance you can hear the unmistakable buzz of a jet ski heading for your once-quiet part of the beach. The day is lost. You pack up and head home. Australians are a beach-going people and research suggests that the scenario outlined above is likely to seriously annoy at least half of us. A 2014 survey of New South Wales residents found that 58% of respondents considered anti-social behaviour a key threat to the social benefits of the coast. The survey was conducted for the state's Marine Estate Management Authority (MEMA).