The busy summer holiday period is always a time when ‘stealth campers’ traditionally come face to face with less-than-impressed local residents, and various councils battle to try to stay on top of the ‘problem’.
This year though the situation has apparently reached unprecedented heights.
The boom in domestic tourism has led to crowded campsites, higher site fees … and a lot of anxious budget-conscious travellers looking for a place to park up for the night.
In places like the New South Wales Mid Coast council area, holiday parks have been booked out and there has been a noticeable surge in illegal camping.
In small coastal communities such as Seal Rocks, long lines of parked campervans have appeared, prompting warnings that they could potentially block access to emergency vehicles or other services.
Electric warning signs have been set up in spots where the problem is particularly acute.
And in Queensland’s Gold Coast, the council has responded quickly to an avalanche of complaints from angry resident that numerous campervans were parking overnight on Burleigh Esplanade, and creating litter and hygiene issues.
Councillor Pauline Young told the Gold Coast Bulletin that she had worked with council officers to get paid parking along the Esplanade to open up spaces for visitors.
“There will be timed parking from 6am to 6pm,” she said. “It won’t suit everybody but timed parking along there and having to move on after three hours should move quite a few of those campervans out because they will be fined otherwise.”
One traveller though told the media he wasn’t impressed.
Nathan Smith said the ‘million-dollar views’ shouldn’t just be for ‘rich people’.
“I’ve had two warnings from both police and council, and they knocked on my window at 1:30am and 4am respectively,” he told the Gold Coast Bulletin. “I think it’s crazy they were out here at that hour trying to boost revenue for the city.”
While some campers are parking in residential streets and public car parks in towns, others are heading into the bush … and that’s causing problems of its own.
Earlier this month, the WA Shire of Augusta Margaret River cracked down hard, saying the ‘high volume’ of campers setting up in bushland was putting ‘significant pressure’ on the environment. It also said that the campers could be at the risk in the event of a bushfire.
Maybe it’s time Councils get back to do what they did so we’ll in the past and that was to provide low cost camp areas for those who don’t need all the glit and glamour
Most areas have show grounds etc why not make them more available, Bunnings from 7 to. 7 as they do in the US . The councils should be taking advantage of the boom .
I’m afraid the backpackers dream of buying a Kombi Camper and travelling the Great Southern Land are pretty much dead.
We are in a 40 foot bus and we camp for free and if you don’t like it to bad for you we are Australian and pay my taxes so you can all suck it
On ya Matt,
It’s not about whether or not you pay your taxes. It’s about sharing space. There is enough space available to enable people to ( responsibly) use public space to sleep in their vans. It shouldn’t be regarded as an anti social thing to do.
There is enough space in our Country to enable free camping for those who don’t need more than a place to sleep. Why has sleeping in your vehicle become a sin?Its ridiculous.
All states will be complaining now not many grey nomads are traveling the cost of fuel and the cost of caravan parks . There’s no more freedom in this country anymore.. and grey nomads do not make the muss I have been traveling for 30 years . And I can tell you I have cleaned up plenty of other people muss and it’s not the grey nomads. I have seen locals full the bins with there rubbish.
It’s like the local councils are not welcoming the tourism dollar. They have no vision and a little power goes to their heads. Shame on you.
Yes in Canberra on Anzac Day but it was my mistake (probably worst day of the year to not book your caravan site in Canberra)!!! We had two bookings either side of the Anzac Day long weekend at Canberra Park (had the Fri and Sat in Ulladulla) and accidentally omitted the Sunday night. The day before we were getting quite desperate, but identified a free park near the highway if worst came to worst. I kept ringing caravan parks every few hours to see if there were any cancellations and got lucky eventually, but it was a big lesson to double check plans and bookings.