It seems that authorities in Margaret River in WA’s south-west may be scrambling to re-visit the once-rejected idea of a peak-season overflow facility.
The Margaret River Times reports that the shire council could be considering an abrupt change of heart following a major backlash to news that a group of teenagers who were camping at a local hall after their Year 12 ball afterparty had been fined by rangers.
Shire president Julia Meldrum told the ABC that there had been a miscommunication as the ranger did not realise a hall booking had been made.
Although the fines were reversed, the damage had been done and the local community’s ire about the ongoing illegal camping problems ratcheted up a notch or two.
Backpackers in coastal areas all over the country often use car parks to sort out their belongings. PIC: Cizza
The Margaret River Times reports that residents overwhelmingly want the Shire to develop a solution, rather than reject the overflow proposed as too complex and expensive.
While many travellers have been hit with illegal camping fines, the paper said residents thought travellers needed adequate facilities to avoid littering, illegal campfires and nuisance issues such as public defecation and urination.
Shire sustainable economy and communities director, Nick Byrne, told the Margaret River Times that the incident with the local teenagers ‘highlighted broader concerns about illegal camping and accommodation pressures, which are priority issues for the Shire’.
However, he did not outline specific solutions.
“Our Shire has become a bucket-list destination which means we’re attracting backpackers here on the trip of a lifetime, as well as seasonal workers who are vital for the local hospitality and viticulture industries,” he said. “This is coupled with a resurgence of digital nomads and van-life culture, plus a rental and cost of living crisis … finding a solution is a priority for the Shire and a process has commenced to understand what the Shire can do to address the issue ahead of future peak seasons.”
Former Tourism WA CEO and Margaret River resident, Richard Muirhead, told the ABC the local government needed more power to penalise people who ‘continually abuse these privileges’.
Mr Muirhead said rangers should be given the ability to stop people from being in an illegal spot for more than 12 hours.
“There has to be the ability for people to say, stop, you can’t park here for 12 hours a day or 12 hours at night,” he told the national broadcaster. “That’s not on, and you can’t set up camping gear here … there are free camps that you can do that in, there are national parks you can go to but you can’t do it in these really primo beach places, surf breaks and, and parks and the like.”
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The same town can’t get workers for motels, cafes and restaurants because there is no place for backpackers to stay. Maybe its time for a low cost council caravan park, so backpackers have a place to stay.
Then the the Big 4 will complain.
While they load up with cabins, taking business from hotels and motels. Hypocrisy much?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Broome and Port Headland are 2 towns who have an overflow system working in peak times. AU shire get over being such a snobby place and provide more CPs or at least overflows..
Put a spot in place where people interested in working around that area can camp with low fees and work in these areas it would be a win win for everybody
There is potential for more tourists to visit if low cost overnight places are made available
Instead of employing more rangers use the wages instead to find a better solution as more rangers aren’t working out
Many towns we have camped in have low-cost camping at the local showgrounds.
WA is the worst state when it come to providing overnight camping facilities for travellers.
I think it is about time Councils provided more places for tourists to camp at low cost for a minimum of at least 48hours.
There are some towns that won’t even let you camp at their show grounds any longer. Not everyone can afford to stay B4’s who in my opinion over rated and over crouded, cramped in like sardines. Most back packers and GNomads travel on a tight budget and therefore can’t afford high-end accommodation. By pushing away these tourists is only detrimental to the towns economy. Councils need to wake up!
We travelled for 2 years around this beautiful country and Margaret River is by far the unfriendliness place.
Amazing isn’t it! They want the tourists yet can’t come up with an imaginative answer for overnighters. As WA born-and-bred natives, my wife and I are gob smacked at how poorly some cities and towns perform while they call for more tourists. No wonder WA doesn’t get the tourists it should. Maybe too many NIMBYs in Margaret River .