Illegal campers have reportedly been returning to Ellis Beach north of Cairns in Queensland, sparking a new wave of complaints from residents.
The Cairns Post reports that concerns over unlawful campers living, fighting and defecating at the pristine site came to a head this year when the Department of Transport and Main Roads promised to tighten its controls.
It said this action followed years of back-and-forth negotiations between the state government, Cairns Regional Council and Queensland Police Service about who, if anyone, was responsible for enforcing anti-camping laws along state highways.
The department eventually agreed to erect no-camping signs at Ellis Beach and Buchan Point, which led to an evacuation of campers.
However, although the numbers of tent and caravan dwellers are significantly down, Division 9 Cairns regional councillor Brett Olds says complaints are again coming thick and fast about campers.
“I talked to Main Roads about it a month ago and said it was great that they changed the legislation, but why don’t they get the police to enforce it?” he said. “The police are there but they won’t ask for their help – they said they were training officers to handle it themselves … it’s just illogical.”
Legislation was recently amended to clarify the rules for rest area use and camping within the state-controlled road reserve. Motorists can use rest areas for 24 hours in order to fight fatigue but long-term camping is prohibited.
The maximum fine is 20 penalty units or $2669, or $266 for on-the-spot fines issued by authorised officers.
However, the Cairns Post reports that the department said at the time that its focus was ‘on education and improved behaviour rather than financial penalties’ and it was ‘continuing to work with QPS around enforcement’ of the laws.
“Our approach to enforcement will involve education, awareness and formal warnings, with fines as a last resort,” it said.
Education – interesting comment. Morons, Idiots and those not interested in abiding by the law do not have the ability to be educated. Fine them, move them on and continue to do so. Make their life miserable.
Totally agree if you can’t clean up after yourself why do you expect other people to do it for you, fine them confiscate their camping gear and throw the ungrateful twangs in jail
Signs are there so if people can’t read them they should not be driving. Fines apply so they should be enforced. Law enforcement is too lenient and people will continue to flaunt the rules as long as they keep getting away with it. These people make it hard for those who do the right thing.
I am sure people can read the signs, they choose to disregard them and if they choose to decafetate on the beach they are causing more health risk for others , ( especially now the the COVID-19 virus around. ) So they have no regard or respect for others , fine them, at least them you have funds for cleaning up the beaches that they befoul.
I believe OUR BEACHES are a FREE WILDERNESS AREA for all community.Should be,not to be segregated,partitioned,sliced up according to a elite few wealthy RL estate endowed owners..A long FREE WILDERNESS of NATURE,a entity of its own..DOG WALKERS let their dogs toilet anywhere- they are a law unto themselves..So Double Standards & Hypocrisy is the main issue here
Mate if you want to compare yourself to a dog go for it, most dog owners carry a plastic bag to clean up after the dog and you believe you are a sentient being able to deficate any place you feel then carry a bag with you and take your waste home with you, I’m far from rich but I don’t take a dump in the street, or on the beach, does typhoid, yellow fever, collera mean anything to you, and if you feel like crapping where you live don’t expect the tax payer to pay for your medical bills, reep what you sow
You people who say fine them obviously have no idea what happens when a fine is issued.
Fining them is a joke, councils and govt departments already have millions of dollars of unpaid fines on their books costing ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to administer, and the small percentage that are taken to court only end up paying $5 a week in penalties.
Just confiscate their gear and auction it.
That will set a fine example.
Fines are hard to collect.
People ignore warnings.
Care for the environment like it’s your child.
why not have a clamping system to stop access to the vehicle preventing them getting anything out unless the fine is paid