English backpacker defends St Kilda beach party, says clean-up bill a small price to pay

An English backpacker who was among the crowd of 5000 that trashed St Kilda beach on Christmas Day says it was “all in good spirits”.

Jack Weatherley told 3AW Mornings the reaction to the party had been over the top.

“I heard somebody on the news quoted as calling it as an ‘environmental disaster’ which I think is a bit of an extreme way to describe it,” he said.

“It was all in good spirits.”

The event, which Mr Weatherley said was not formally planned, cost ratepayers in the City of Port Phillip $18,000.

He agreed the mess left behind was unacceptable, but argued the clean-up bill was a small price to pay.

“It is a bad figure to have, but that figure is nothing compared to how much the tourists bring into the country,” Mr Weatherley said.

“Everybody there had so much fun and will go home to wherever they’re from and will say they had the best time ever in Melbourne for Christmas.”

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He said it was a “happy” atmosphere.

“There was no animosity between anyone,” Mr Weatherley explained.

“You couldn’t get a bigger crowd of people from different places all getting on.”

Click PLAY below to see the line for booze in St Kilda on Christmas