A Victorian council is to consider banning camping at a popular spot as it grapples with a range of associated issues … including the site being used by growing numbers of homeless people.
The Huntly Lions Park in Bendigo has provided an informal short-term camping ground for travellers passing through the region for many years.
However, the City of Greater Bendigo says that there have been a growing number of complaints about the behaviour of some campers, the cleanliness of the park, and the fact that people are residing in the park for extended periods of time.
At its upcoming meeting, councillors will ponder what steps can be taken to resolve the issues, and it is being recommended that they change the legal status of the spot to make it illegal to camp there.
And, as part of a wider council reviews of the issue, it now appears that a second reserve might also be closed to campers.
A council report states that housing stress is a significant issue for the Greater Bendigo community and that one of the consequences has been that a number of campers have been using Huntly Lions Park as their permanent place of residence.
“Council staff regularly visit the site making sure that facilities are clean and tidy and monitoring camper behaviour,” the report said. “On occasion they have sought the support of local Victoria Police staff to deal with a range of safety issues.”
It said some campers have refused to cooperate and have set up extensive campsites which impact on other visitors.
“Staff have also sought support from Haven Home Safe to assist campers in finding alternate housing which has been successful on a number of occasions,” the report said. “However, some of the longer-term campers have refused offers of re-location.”
Councillors will be told that the park is crown land zoned for recreation, but it also has a current reservation purpose of camping and water supply. This means that Community Local Law cannot be used to move campers on.
One of the options available to councillors will be for the council to write to the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) to have this reservation purpose removed. This process would take approximately four months to implement.
In the process of looking at the problem at Huntly Lions Park, council officers identified that the Marong Tourist Camping Reserve, located on the Bendigo side of Marong off the Calder Highway, also has this reservation purpose.
Council officers are therefore proposing that the council also seeks to have this removed at the same time as Huntly.
They are recommending that councillors seeks to remove the camping reservation purpose for the Huntly Lions Park and the Marong Tourist Camping Park; provide early notice to current and prospective campers and local housing providers that it is likely that camping will not be permitted in the park in the future; and to inform the local community of the council’s intention.
Officers say the council’s other option is to do nothing whilst continuing to work with other agencies including the police, and to ensure the park remains well maintained.
“This option will lead to continued concerns being raised by the wider community,” the report to council stated.
The council will discuss this matter at its meeting on Monday.
Change it to 3 nights max, and follow it up each evening
I used to camp at the Huntly overnight. Found it very convenient. The last couple of years I’ve driven passed and heard stories. Not somewhere I would even consider now. It’s a disgusting dump.
We don’t even stop there now to use the toilets. We have never camped there but what you can see from road is a disgusting eye saw on the edge of a major Hwy.
We went there a few years back & were considering staying there for a couple of nights.
I was a bit too claustrophobic for us. We stayed just a few minutes drive further north at English’s Bridge, a pleasant spot in the bush next to a river.
Yes the homelessness is a problem
We recently stayed at the camp on Calder alternate
There were some permanents there who were well behaved and not an issue
Huntly camp does look a disgrace
Council shut down the Showgrounds years ago and one of the major van parks shut a few years ago and both of these supplied low cost housing
So unless council supplies some form of low cost housing these unfortunates will have no where to go
FYI I spoke to one gentleman who was sleeping in his car – he was btw rentals
Bendigo desperately needs a proper rv stop – we live on the road permanently in our bus and if these two camps go it will be difficult for us to visit family in the future
Why is it that a very few are allowed to wreck things for the vast majority?
Always the same. The unruly expect everything for nothing and always blame others. Look after number 1.
Tell, where are the homeless supposed to go?, not all will be accommodated locally. Australia is heading toward, what is happening in California, where, their are 180 thousand homeless. Currently in Australia their are nearly 350 thousand homeless, or couch surfing. It is a low act, to say kick them to the wind, when you have a home to go home to.
So if it long term campers and homeless why take it out on us being grey nomads again we get blamed for it all thanks
I have been asking council to remove the campers as 1 person in a van has been there for a very long time most campers have been there long enough to have saved for a bond and have several months of rent saved they need to be moved on I stay in free camps often but I would pass through bendigo and not stop. It looks like a tip. I have read reports that some of the homeless have refused housing that is not homeless.
Instead of closing it, make it a 48 hour maximum stop over.
This will allow genuine travellers a chance to stop, do some shopping and rest up before moving on.
Just need to police the 48 hours.