Australia Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday waded in to a debate over the use of portable cabanas to reserve prime spots on the nation's beaches, saying the practice was "not on" and against the country's egalitarian spirit.

Portable cabanas used to reserve spots on Australian beaches are ‘un-Australian’, says Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

For years, a controversial invader has been gradually taking over Australia's beloved beaches. Swallowing up the sand, blocking ocean views and turning the shore into an irksome maze is a sea of large beach tents,

Debate erupted this week over the growing number of beach tents, or “cabanas”, proliferating on Australian beaches. The controversy, which began on social media, was fuelled by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who declared it was “not on” for beachgoers to reserve a spot on the sand by erecting a cabana then leaving it vacant for hours.

A new trend has emerged on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, where beachgoers are using cabanas to reserve prime beach real estate.