If travellers weren’t entirely convinced that the authorities in Queensland’s Gold Coast were serious about their crackdown on free campers at the Spit, they should be now!
A man has just been charged with trespass after visiting the popular beachside location and, if convicted, faces a maximum fine of $48,000 and a lifetime ban from the Spit. His case will go before Southport Magistrates Court later this month and the court’s decision will be seen as a benchmark for future prosecutions.
After years of watching the numbers of free campers in the area grow, the authorities have been taking an increasingly dim view of the practice and, four weeks ago, put tough new measures in place targeting illegal campers.
Gold Coast Waterways Authority chief executive Hal Morris told the Gold Coast Bulletin that the crackdown had been a ‘real success story’.
“In the past month illegal camping seems to have dropped to almost zero which is what we were hoping to do,” he said. “But I am not naive enough to think we will never get anyone not stretching the friendship … we have security guards there and police standing ready if need be.”
Powers to issue on-the-spot fines were given to the Gold Coast Waterways Authority early last month with fines of up to $1200 are now being issued.
While some have labelled the punishments draconian, Mr Morris defended the approach … including the whopping trespass penalty.
“A trespassing infringement is $48,000 and that means the magistrate can make an order to leave the park and never come back again,’ he said. “It is a fierce tool that we have got but we are not a jackboot organisation — it is not on to camp there and we will take action.”
The Bulletin reports that work was recently completed on a $2.5 million upgrade of the area known as ‘the finger’ including a new toilet block, resurfaced roads, gates and bollards to prevent illegal campers from staying overnight. The gates are now closed at night and with the issue ‘under control’, waterways bosses are now planning their next project — a “spit and polish” job on Doug Jennings Park.
While many locals were unhappy that free campers sometimes made the beachside area overlooking the Broadwater look like a ‘shanty town’, there was some sympathy.
Save our Broadwater president Alan Rickard told the Bulletin that he had concerns about the harshness of the penalties.
“To be frank I have met and talked with some of these people and some of them are struggling financially,” he said. “We don’t want to tip them over the edge and the mere fact they are getting the stick shaken at them like this will hopefully mean they understand they have had fun but it is over now.”
How do they collect the fines fron the backpackers. Same way they collect the traffic fines. They don’t.
This makes parking and speeding fines look ridiculously cheap. B!oody hell you can drive unlicensed unregistered have outstanding fines with a blood alcohol level of more than .2 and you probably end up with another meaningless fine of $500 plus another 6 months loss of the license you never had. $48000 fines for overnight camping or $1200 on the spot make the council look like a pack of nongs.
Lol….well said Philby
State government. Not council.
This is a state government department directive, not Gold Coast Council.
So where is the free camping area? This strip of finger land is obviously very precious to the council. I guess Mr Morris is enjoying his status as chief executioner of fines to the illegals. I have not planned a visit and the Gold Coast is really last on my list of places to visit.
Full force of the law, I’m a grey nomad but I have respect for council and police laws and if the bloody sign says “No camping” obey it or face the fine. Backpackers are no different and if they are given a fine then lock them up till it is paid, otherwise blacklist on passport/customs so they will be arrested before departure.
I applaud this action. I’m not a local, but it’s about time this abuse was stamped for ever. The abuse of free camping is intolerable in some of the most beautiful spots around.
I hope they throw the book at this idiot.
My late wife and i livedon the road for 14 years and we respected the privilege of a free camp.
It’s not a rite. It’s a privilege.
Look after it and it’ll be there for other’s to enjoy.
Now the idiot few have killed the golden goose for the rest of us.
I have no sympathy for the fate of this person.
Are we really talking of “overnighting” tourists or the bigger problem of so called “homeless” people the increasing numbers of which are invading all major cities. There is a vast difference, the first can be managed the second group no government intervention has made a difference.
Nothing but “thugs” like most jackboot councils. Take your Nomad Dollars somewhere else. Dont spend it there. They dont want tourists or Nomads in their area. Absolutely disgraceful.
What about people who want to go there early for dawn photos, does this mean now you can’t get in?
What about the house boat that park beside the spit and on the islands
Exactly and in fact we spent a week on our trailerable yacht anchored in the little bay outside SeaWorld. The helicopters were a bit noisy during the day and the volcano but the nights were great. Politics of free camping is a shambles. Is there a free or low cost alternative to full service caravan parks available nearby if not why not. Could be an interesting court case if Waterways do not enforce a ban on overnighting in boats but discriminate against others,ham km
Boaties have always been privelidged
Their is no provision in the Australian constitution for local government.
Ned Kelly was an honest man, compared to these bushrangers.
As for the Gold Coast, We do not go their.
Are they not all registered corporations now?
My husband and I avoid GC like the plague. Only 2 caravan parks are pet friendly and they won’t let you stay more than one month (not quite sure on this – could be six weeks). One is under the flight zone near Coolangatta airport and the other is at Jacobs Well which is full of sandflies. All GC caravan parks except on or two are owned by the Council. Not nomad friendly at all.
I must admit the spit did ot look very good with all the tents and vans camped there. I have a small van which i like to travel in, i am retired on my own , i am on the pension , i pay rent and believe me i do not have much left to camp in caravan parks, so i do look for free camp sites i make sure i do the right thing and leave only my foot prints . I have asked backpackers to pick up there mess. They are maki ng the east coast very hard to camp and to me it is very unfair ,why don’nt you give us a fair go.