Surprise, surprise… locals are not stoked on Netflix’s new “docu-soap”.
When Netflix announced that they are making a new series that follows a group of Byron Bay influencers “living their best lives, being their best selves, creating the best d̶r̶a̶m̶a̶ content” many of us thought it was a joke. One follower commented: “What the actual fuck?! You should have posted this on April 1st” which pretty much summed up exactly what we were thinking.
Alas, it turns out that this shit is really happening and Byron Bay AKA the world’s largest celebrity resort, will be further thrust into the spotlight and marketed as a playground where influencers are free to roam in their natural habitat of sunny beaches and over-priced cocktail bars. So far it’s been leaked that model Jessica Vander Leahy and former Love Island star Elias Chigros are on board.
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Naturally, locals are pretty sick of the side-effects that this kind of attention, which has seen rentals skyrocket, traffic get to near-Sydney levels and secret swimming/hiking spots ruined. The petition below, which at the time of writing had over 400 signatures in two hours, lists “coastal erosion, increasing unemployment, traffic management challenges, low high school completion rates and high levels of gendered and domestic violence,” as systemic issues that the local government should be focussing on instead approving filming permits for the show.
At this point, filming is scheduled to begin next month and we have a feeling that there is more drama to come here (possibly more than will feature on the show). Head here to join the fight against Byron Baes if ya feel like it…
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