From the Southern Courier:

Randwick Council is flirting with killjoy status after banning dual-string kites on seven of its beaches without the knowledge of its councillors.

The councillors resolved to install new regulation signs across the municipality at a meeting last October. However, four councillors contacted by the Courier were unaware any signs would incorporate the new ban.

"I can't remember voting on that at all, actually," Greens councillor Margaret Woodsmith said.

"I know that two-stringed kites can sometimes be used in an aggressive manner but I've never seen or heard of anything like that on our beaches anyway."

The new signs cost $260,000, plus another $150,000 over three years, and fail to mention single-string and four-string kites, creating confusion over the ban.

The owner of Coogee toy and kite shop Kite and Kaboodle, Petra Vaculik, said she had worked at Coogee for 14 years and that she had never heard of an incident involving kites.

"We sell a lot of two-string kites," Ms Vaculik said. "People have been flying them at Maroubra, Coogee and Bondi for years.

"They are more graceful than dangerous. They are a family sport and people often line up on the promenade to watch people fly them. They are enjoyable for everyone."

Labor councillor Anthony Bowen, who also could not recall voting on the ban, said he would like to revisit the issue as kite-flying was an activity he was fond of as a child.

"As a kid we flew kites a lot, so it's part of a happy childhood for me but I would need to be satisfied there's a great difference between single-string and double-string kites," he said.

A Randwick Council spokeswoman was unable to offer a reason for the ban and said it was simply part of a decision to: "co-ordinate and provide consistent regulation signs at all our beaches, parks and open space areas".