With caravan and camping booming, and the concept of ‘overtourism’ currently being given such attention around the world, there is sometimes a sense that major changes could soon be coming to the world of travel.
Of course, various cities on other continents have tried everything ftom tourist taxes to visitor number caps in a bid to protect the integrity of ‘real communities’ and a sense of ‘normal’ life.
So, what might happen in Australia?
Perhaps a move to protect some places for locals only could be on the cards?
After all, the arrangement whereby NT residents aren’t charged to visit many of the Territory’s national parks, while interstate visitors are, has already been largely accepted by the travelling public.
Some locals are fed up with tourists invading 'their' space
Maybe this broad ‘locals first’ concept could be taken a step further?
Indeed, as a council on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula council moved to restrict access to two beaches due to environmental concerns, there was a suggestion that perhaps local people should be given special access to camp at one popular beach.
Reacting to concerns about the state of the beach near Port Broughton, Barunga West Mayor, Leonie Kerley, moved a council motion asking Landscapes SA for ‘immediate action to prevent access to the cliff and dunes at the Back Beach site, and to implement remedial measures including the installation of fencing and large obstacles to restrict vehicular activity and protect the area from further degradation’.
Calling Back Beach a ‘beloved local treasure’ that needs protection, Ms Kerley said the area was regularly subjected to damage by motorbikes, quads, and 4WDs, especially during weekends and holiday periods.
“With every visit, the damage increases, which directly impacts the environmental integrity of the area,” she said. “Over the years, this ongoing degradation has compounded … it’s imperative we take decisive action to prevent further destruction and preserve this vital coastal area for future generations.”
However, council papers also show one resident asked if ‘locals can be issued permits of some sort” to continue camping on Barkers Beach.
The response at the recent council meeting stated that Barkers Beach, which has a history of informal camping, is Crown land with a licence to the council for care and control.
“Council will not be issuing permits for locals or any other person to camp at Barkers Beach in the future,” it states.
Council has banned camping, is fencing off dunes and there is just one access point for day visitors only.
The council response said there had ‘been an increase in visitors and anti-social behaviour including littering, toileting and collection of firewood’.
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What a load of codswallop.
OK then we’ll restrict Manly and Snapper Rocks to locals only!
For goodnes’ sake, make hay with the tourists and accept their money. The
carnival may not be forever!
Provide additional facilities to thin the crowds . . . .
Put me in charge – I’ll fix it.
You got my vote.
I’ll vote for ya also
Me too.
Australia should be for Australians not just the locals. I welcome all Australians to where I live, free of charge.
Yes but you don’t live someplace where the population goes from 2500 year round to 15000 over Christmas. I do. Believe me we need some special privileges for locals.
While camping places should be open to all I think there is a case to be made for giving earlier booking access to locals at national parks. Places that we have camped at for years are now almost impossible to book because they are full of interstate and overseas tourists. I’m not saying they can’t come, only that locals get first bite of the cherry.
National parks are on crown land paid for through all our taxes. Local residents do not contribute any more than any other taxpayer. Their municipal rates only help pay for their local infrastructure and services so I believe any preferential treatment should be directed at local opportunities rather than state or federally owned land.
Spot on
What don’t you understand by “NATIONAL”.
It’s gulag time !!! Introduce locals only passports, place surveillance cameras in every nook and cranny and then only allow persons of assessed good social character to access specific locations.
Australia is, was and always will be for all of us, not just the select few.
Camped responsibly for many years at Barkers Beach. Havnt a problem with Council issolating the dunes. BUT there was no harm being done camping on the flat clay areas. Leonies blanket approach of shut it down altogether is copybook typical of what’s happening elsewhere. I would have been happy to pay to camp there on book and pay system and I have spoken with many that agree. What it would mean is that Council would need to get organised and create designated sites ect. Na to hard , just shut it down. 1 Noddy moves a motion and all the Noddys second it. All over and done with.
In Tasmania, it was determined that it is illegal for any government (and territory) authority to charge interstate people a different price than ‘locals’. So, if any government authority such as NT goverment is not charging NT people nat. Park fees but charging ‘outsiders’, they are contravening the Australian Constitution.
The construction e surest all Australians must be treated equally by government authorities. No discounts for locals, sorry.
Private businesses can do what they like.
Perhaps someone needs to take NT on about that.
As a local resident I get 3 free tip passes to my local tip.
Anyone who doesn’t live here has to pay full price.
After the first 3 trips, I have to pay the exact same price.
I’m starting to see an option for granting local residents a certain amount of annual free passes to things which can otherwise have the same fees laid by all, like access to 4wd beaches, camping spots and priority parking bays near shops and services.
Let’s bring in millions of people from overseas, while we are at that let’s close down all the free camping areas, and now let’s now complain that there are too many people wanting to go camping?
This country has lost its damn mind.
We have educated morons with no common sense whatsoever, and all the caravan parks are using councils as henchmen to obtain a complete monopoly.
Travelers constantly being threatened….our relationship with our government is an abusive one.
Yes l totally agree let’s improve our camping spots the council is to greedy if the camp spots are good they will stay longer spend emoney in the town keeps everyone happy
Sleeping with a fear of incarceration or threats of being fined or threatened is a human rights violation.
Our government stand strong on everything who breaks the human rights except when it’s happening right here in our country.
Sleeping is a human right!
If any council or government thinks they can fine you and threaten you to move on are violating your human rights.
The same people who are responsible for violating our human rights are the same people closing down all our free camping areas!
Any no overnight stay signs if there is no alternative within a reasonable distance is 100% a human rights violation!
We must be fighting these people head on, enough is enough.
Well maybe you can come and clean up the informal car park behind my beach on the Surfcoast. Every night over summer at least 6 vans leave rubbish and toilet in the delicate bush! What about our rights to not have clean up regularly – or pay to have it done?
That’s a complete surprise to me. Which article in the universal declaration of human rights was that contained in? Silly me, I don’t recall being allowed to camp anywhere you want without consequences being in there.
Give all locals a break i live in a small town with a nice river and since they have advertised it its gone ape shit people everywhere we can’t even watch tv because they take all the data from the tower the river gets trashed with rubbish and i mean all sorts its a disscrase what people do plus come the 4×4 worriers now i have been saying this for ever just let people discover things away stop advertising
I’m giggling that FNQ is putting in a bed tax .
This money raised will be used to improve the area.
So basically it’s such a shit place to visit they want to charge you more to fix it up??
Clever
Charge a fee to camp.Next thing after they’ve fenced it off they’ll be asking for money to maintain it.
Our town “welcomes” tourist over the holidays and the town population increases by 700%.
There is no bread, eggs or milk at the supermarket after 8 am, and we can’t park within 1 km of our local post office, bank or doctors surgery for 4 months in a row.
We don’t have a swimming pool with 60 km so all our kids learn to swim in the ocean where VacSwim runs classes over summer. There is no priority given to local kids and for the last several years ALL places have been taken on a first come, first served basis by tourists from Perth, whose kids have a swimming pool within 5 km all year round.
So now my kids are completely excluded from swimming lessons unless we are willing to make a 120km trip twice a week. Time to reserve some places for locals, eh?
We have fantastic 4 wd access to local beaches where we like to camp and fish. These places become impassable in summer as tourist with no clue how to drive off road go through in droves and tear up the tracks by refusing to let down their tyres and deliberately thrashing up hills and around corners till only the most hard core off road behemoths can barely access the beach. So us locals with normal 4wd Ute’s can access these places in winter, but we are excluded in summer.
I’m starting to think that some form or prioritisation for local residents is essential.
Welcome to the real world. What you are experiencing is happening everywhere. As our population has grown so have the number of vehicles on the road. Social media has only highlighted our great camping destinations and improved road conditions have made many places easier to get to. Councils have actively tried to attract visitors. I live in a rural town 1 1/2 hrs from a large city and have the same problem with choked roads, finding a car park, space at the playground or getting an appt with a Dr. As I said this is the reality throughout Australia and the world
I’m a local in a popular tourist destination & I think locals should be highest priority
Tourists have to pay to park, residents apply for a free annual parking permit.
Our town would be fine without tourists visiting.
Where is this ideal town that is completely self-sufficient and does not need any external visitors to keep the shops, servo’s, pubs, doctors’ surgeries, schools, tourist attractions etc. operating and employing “locals”? NIMBY!
I do agree let’s look after locals but the tourist are keeping the local shops going in peek season and carry them to the quite times if you put restrictions on them they will go somewhere else that means small country towns will die the locals don’t support the smallshop keeper they will go to digger town and do a fortnightly shop they don’t care if the small shop closes and have to put off staff nojobspeople move to bigger towns chops close town dies
Who are those damaging the area? I do not know of any Grey Nomads who take motorbikes, quads, and 4WDs, to ride on beaches. I would suggest that the Councilor should look a little closer to her own back yard if the damage is only occurring during weekends and holiday periods.