As ever, the festive season has seen a surge in free camping – and free camping complaints – in communities across the country.
On South Australia’s Limestone Coast, the District Council of Grant said there had been significant free camping activity in recent weeks, although perhaps not as widespread as previous years.
According to the Border Watch newspaper, this month’s general council meeting stated community rangers undertook patrol work on most days over the Christmas and New Year period, dealing with a number of complaints concerning comfort campfires and loud music or noise.
According to a report tabled to elected members, most issues largely occurred at the popular Eight Mile Creek free camping areas. South Australian police and the Country Fire Service were also involved with a number of these incidents.
Pulling up in a coastal car park for a few hours is a tempting option for many travellers. PIC: Cizza
The Border Watch reports that the council’s new free camping signage along Eight Mile Creek, Brown Bay, Cape Northumberland, Orwell Rocks and Blackfellows Caves were either missed or ignored by numerous free campers who visited the area.
It was suggested in the report some additional temporary ‘no fires’ or ‘fires prohibited’ signs would be placed in the Eight Mile Creek area.
Council’s community rangers will continue to monitor and undertake regular patrol work of the free camping areas through to the Australia Day long weekend.
According to the Border Watch, it is expected council officers will review the free camping activity and associated issues following this holiday period, and this may involve a briefing session with elected members. The report to council stated some changes and improvements may follow the review.
The extent to which councils should crack down – or not crack down – on free camping is the subject of fierce debate in many coastal areas, and is made particularly complicated by the rise in ho9melesness amidst a housing crisis.
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Have just driven around our hometown of Lakes Entrance and seen half a dozen caravans and vans obviously ‘free camping’ there overnight. Goodluck to them, caravan parks are too expensive this time of the year
Good. Fires are not needed every time we camp. Such stubborn campers are ruining it for the rest of us. If you can’t eat a camp meal without a fire, you don’t deserve to be travelling