The horrific incident in Tasmania in which a car ran over a tent containing a sleeping family of five has once again shone a spotlight on the issue of anti-social campground behaviour.
It seems that the West Kentish Road campsite where the incident happened in the early hours of New Year’s Day has ‘form’ in this regard.
Acting Kentish Council mayor Don Thwaites said the authority was aware the campground had a history of some anti-social behaviour.
“In the past we’ve had complaints,” he told the Examiner newspaper. “Sometimes related to alcohol, many times related to motor cars carting up the grounds and doing wheelies … plus fires in some places.”
However, he said the New Year’s Day horror was on a different level and was ‘very, very distressing’.
“This is, we’d have to say, an outrageous incident,” he said. “By-and-large, people are well-behaved and just enjoy the beautiful spot.”
Since the alleged incident, the Examiner reports that campers have raised concerns over the regulation of the West Kentish site, many feeling more should be done to manage the behaviour of campers.
Currently, the campsite has a caretaker, but there is no council supervisor or caretaker permanently on-site.
The mangled wreckage of the tent frame. PIC: Monte Bovill / ABC / Twitter
Cr Thwaites told the newspaper that it wasn’t as simple as just employing someone to supervise. He said there were issues around finding adequate resources, and also said the site was relatively low-use for most of the year.
“People have previously rejected the idea of camping fees, so there’s really no way that we could pay for it,” he said. “We’ve done surveys, we’ve looked at increasing the presence there and paying fees to use the site but those ideas were rejected.”
For that reason, Cr Thwaites said the campground is usually self-regulated.
“If people are having trouble with other people, if it’s a police matter, they’re expected to ring the police,” he told the Exaniner. “At the same time, we acknowledge their resources are stretched and we have a small number of officers working.”
Cr Thwaites said the council was open to suggestions from the campers and the family involved, with a focus on ensuring similar incidents never happen again.
A 27-year-old man is in police custody following the New Year’s Day incident. Police will allege that he crashed his vehicle through the family tent, then narrowly missed other camping sites and people in the area prior to colliding with a tree.
Media reports suggest an angry lynch mob of campers then grabbed axes and shovels and dragged the driver from his ute. He was pinned down and held captive until police arrived at the scene.
Acting Sergeant Fabienne Jamieson said police had received information that the man was ‘exhibiting anti-social behaviour prior to the crash’.
The family of five who had been inside the tent were initially rushed to hospital. A 10-year-old remains in intensive care with a fractured pelvis and ruptured spleen, while the four other family members have since been discharged.
Make an example of the person/s causing the problem
Take off the kid gloves, that type of action/ irresponsibility needs a sentence of 20 years without parole
He will be lucky to get 6 months custody, probably get off with a metal health clause.
Dial 000 if you have reception.