The Brighton Beach Festival came to an end in 2007 as it was about to be held for the fiftieth year.
The festival started in a small fashion in Cook Park, Kyeemagh, and grew in following years, becoming a very popular fixture that ran throughout January.
However, with growth came problems, and nearby residents besieged Rockdale Council with complaints about noise, parking, hoon activities and other anti-social behaviour.
The event was cancelled in 2007 and was never held again.
Over the following two years, the beach, parkland and car park became a construction compound for the desalination plant pipeline which was installed on the bed of Botany Bay from Kurnell to Kyeemagh.
The Leader announced the cancellation of the festival in a front page report on October 18, 2007.
Cancellation followed lengthy disagreement between organisers, residents and Rockdale Council.
Organisers of the festival – the Lions and Rotary clubs of Rockdale – were bitterly disappointed.
They said families in the area had lost their annual fair and two major charities were losing their main fund-raising source.
Rotary Club president Ralph Campbell said the council had taken such a long time to make a final decision that organisers ran out of time to plan the festival.
“It was in the ‘too-hard basket’ for council because of the residents’ complaints, and it is very disappointing it had to happen on its 50th year,” Mr Campbell said.
Earlier in the year, the festival was under serious threat after complaints by residents about illegal parking, noise and hooning.
Alternative locations were suggested, but none was suitable to organisers.
“Cook Park was the best for toilets and electricity for the rides –some of the other locations didn’t have electricity,” owner of Durkin Amusements Alan Woodall said.
A resident on The Grand Parade said his home had been hit with eggs twice during the festival.
“Parking is so bad you can't find a single spot and people even block your driveway,” he said.
“Pranksters have superglued people’s locks, the noise from the fireworks has killed dogs and there is rubbish everywhere.”
Following complaints about the cancellation, the council decided it should be saved, but reduced the operating hours, between 6pm and 10pm were unacceptable to the organisers.
“People don’t come until about 8.30pm,” said festival committee chairman Ralph McIlwraith.
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