{"id":165088,"date":"2025-08-22T00:07:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-22T00:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/165088\/"},"modified":"2025-08-22T00:07:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T00:07:13","slug":"backpackers-threaten-to-leave-town-if-broomes-bush-doof-crackdown-continues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/165088\/","title":{"rendered":"Backpackers threaten to leave town if Broome’s ‘bush doof’ crackdown continues"},"content":{"rendered":"

Backpackers in Western Australia’s far north say they will pack up and leave if restrictions on so-called “bush doof” parties are not loosened.<\/p>\n

Bush doofs are a collective term used by both authorities and organisers to refer to outdoor dance parties in regional areas, often held on a beach or isolated bush blocks.<\/p>\n

The parties are seen as a rite of passage for backpackers travelling through Broome, 2,100 kilometres north of Perth, with the active social scene enticing many young people to stay and work in the tourist town.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Backpackers enjoy the festivities at a bush doof near Broome. (Supplied: Quentin Cole)<\/p>\n

But local authorities have been cracking down on the events, according to French backpacker Quentin Cole.<\/p>\n

It prompted him to start a petition, alongside his friends, calling on local police and the shire council to explain themselves.<\/p>\n

“When the last bush doof happened the cops came and said ‘this is going to be the last one’. They shut down the doof,” Mr Cole said.<\/p>\n

“For us, Broome is a beautiful town. But without the doof, without party, it’s not the same.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Quentin Cole started the petition calling for fewer restrictions on bush doofs. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)<\/p>\n

Mr Cole said the parties were quintessential to the backpacker experience and a part of Broome’s cultural fabric.<\/p>\n

‘Backbone’ of Broome’s workforce<\/p>\n

The petition titled “No parties, no backpackers, no workers for your town” garnered over 200 signatures.<\/p>\n

Mr Cole said without backpackers “much of the town would struggle” to operate, and if Broome authorities were seen as “hostile or heavy-handed” many would simply go elsewhere.<\/p>\n

“We meet each other and enjoy our weekend because during the week we work a lot. We just want to spend some time together and celebrate,”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

he said.\"a<\/p>\n

Backpackers in Broome started the petition “No parties, no backpackers, no workers for your town”. (ABC Kimberley: Ruby Littler)<\/p>\n

The issue has locals and visitors divided.<\/p>\n

Local Steve Baker said the bush doofs were “great” and essential to incentivising workers to regions.<\/p>\n

“It gives the backpackers something to do, and they usually do it out of town so they’re no hassle to anyone,” he said.<\/p>\n

“We need backpackers, we need them for the workers.”<\/p>\n

But holiday-maker John, from WA’s south, said police should be taking a heavy-handed approach.<\/p>\n

“It’s not very good for the oldies. We’re here for a holiday. Just as well I need a hearing aid,” he said.<\/p>\n

“Backpackers have the right to do it but they need to turn it down a bit.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Safety concerns<\/p>\n

WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch told ABC Radio Perth he was all for young people having fun.<\/p>\n

But he said safety and the law were non-negotiable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

“We’ve had two victims of sexual violence come to police and say ‘this has happened to me at these bush doofs’,” he said.<\/p>\n

“There is local council probably sitting ahead of us, but as police we should always look at public safety.<\/p>\n

\"WA<\/p>\n

Police Commissioner Col Blanch told ABC Perth they were always looking at ensuring public safety. (ABC News: Andrew O’Connor)<\/p>\n

“I think it’s about having more security, having clear boundaries.<\/p>\n

“Don’t make it out in the middle of nowhere where anything could happen to anyone, there are predators in our community.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Police allege a 19-year-old Broome man sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl, who was known to him, at a bush doof on Cable Beach in April 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The matter is before the courts.<\/p>\n

Police are also still searching for a man in relation to a sexual assault at a bush doof in 2022.<\/p>\n

Police are offering a $250,000 reward for information leading to an arrest<\/a> \u2014 the first time such a reward had been offered for information on a sexual assault case in WA’s history.<\/p>\n

Authorities say the 2022 and 2025 incidents are not linked.<\/p>\n

\"Flags<\/p>\n

The Shire of Broome said it does not support unauthorised bush doof parties. (ABC Kimberley: Ben Collins)<\/p>\n

In a statement the Shire of Broome said it was aware of “ongoing concerns” around unauthorised bush gatherings.<\/p>\n

“Given the safety, environmental, and antisocial behaviour risks linked to these gatherings the shire does not support or facilitate them,” a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n

“[The shire] encourages the public to report concerns to WA Police as the lead enforcement agency.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Backpackers in Western Australia’s far north say they will pack up and leave if restrictions on so-called “bush…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":165089,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4740,8082,24279,95073,50,10669,5292,10409,95074],"class_list":{"0":"post-165088","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-australia","9":"tag-backpackers","10":"tag-beach-party","11":"tag-bush-doof","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-party","14":"tag-public-safety","15":"tag-sexual-assault","16":"tag-shire-of-broome"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115069507747729846","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165088\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}