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Locals, including children, were seen playing in the sea foam and white water at Currumbin and watching the swell from rock walls across the Gold Coast and northern NSW yesterday.
The Gold Coast City Council has confirmed fines of $16,100 would apply to people who breached disaster declarations.
Crisafulli said the “vast majority” of people did the responsible thing, aside from some “idiots”.
“You’re not just endangering yourself, but you’ve got emergency services workers who want to be going to help people and advise people and give them information,” he said.
“You’re putting them in harm’s way, too, and they’ve got families as well.”
He said the goal was to protect people.
“I don’t want to have to bark orders at people,” he said.
Gold Coast chief lifeguard Chris Maynard said there was no need for people to be at the beach or on the rock walls.
“You can be standing in what you think is a safe spot where your feet are dry and then a big surge and, as it’s happened, it’s knocked people off their feet and down into the sand,” Maynard told the ABC yesterday.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has also urged people to avoid dangerous behaviour and take “personal responsibility”.
“This isn’t a time for sight-seeing, or seeing what it’s like to experience these conditions first-hand,” he said.
“Please stay safe. Be sensible. And keep distance from these events and the impact as it’s happening,” he said.
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He again urged people to listen to the SES on evacuation orders.
“They have knowledge, they have expertise, they have experience,” he said.
“You make their life harder, and importantly as well it means they can be distracted from assisting others if people aren’t following the recommendations in a timely manner.”
