Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Nudist events held at a handful of beaches

Updated at 6:04 pm on 28 January 2012

Nudist events are being held at a handful of beaches throughout the country on Saturday, which has outraged the lobby group, Family First.

Organised by the group, Free Beaches, the day without bathing suits is held annually on the last Saturday of January.

Family First has singled out Tauranga, saying many locals at Papamoa beach oppose the event.

Family First national director Bob McCoskrie is calling on the Tauranga District Council to follow the lead of the Kapiti Coast District Council and introduce a bylaw outlawing public nudity on the coastline.

He says freedom of expression must never be at the expense of the right to protect children and families from offensive and inappropriate behaviour.

But spokesperson for the Papamoa event, Andrew Pointon, says the beach is well known for nudity and when people see nudists they simply go to a different section of the beach.

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