A West Australian council which blocked the hot water at a beachside public shower in a bid to deter illegal campers from stopping there has caved to public pressure and turned it back on.
While the episode at City Beach in Perth is probably an extreme example of the steps local authorities take, it is indicative of a wider issue.
Many communities are now wrestling with the ‘problem’ of how to deal with an ever-growing influx of budget-minded travellers.
While the pandemic triggered an unprecedented boom in the popularity of caravanning and camping, the numbers of people looking for a free place to sleep in their vans has been further swelled by a steep rise in the cost of living and a homelessness crisis.
Hot or cold, outdoor showers are popular with swimmers, surfers ... and free campers!
Some local authorities have employed what is known as ‘hostile architecture’ in a bid to deter camping in certain areas.
This might include things like strategically placed concrete blocks or posts to prevent vans pulling up. But it is challenging for councils to find the right balance in their approach to what is clearly a sensitive issue.
When the Town of Cambridge turned off the hot water at City Beach showers last month, it was labelled by many as a clumsy, heavy-handed move. It sparked an immediate and angry backlash from local swimmers and beachgoers.
The council said it was done as part of a multi-faceted response to increased illegal camping in the area, and a resultant increase in litter. However, earlier this week, the Town of Cambridge said it had been working to address these issues with the installation of larger capacity 660L bins, increased frequency of bin collections, increased Ranger patrols, review of CCTV, and the issuing of infringements under relevant local laws.
“These measures appear to have been effective in reducing the number of illegal campers in the area and has enabled the Town to respond to the community’s desires for the hot water to be reinstated,” the statement said.
While local campaigners celebrate this ‘victory’, there is no disguising the impact that growing numbers of budget-minded campers can have on beachside communities.
In places like Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, for example, a fierce debate has broken out over the sheer volume of campervans that regularly park at the end of Noosa Spit.
The cold war in Perth may be over … but similar battles will be playing out in communities across the country.
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Perhaps offer budget, basic camping. We can’t all afford $70 plus per night for caravan resorts.
That’s why farmstays are killing the c.van industry and Nat. Parks in NEW England where I live, the farmstays are at the most $25 per night, and the least $10 per night, we never leave the new england now, we farmstay regularly, and have a ball. $70 no way We would pay that anywhere, farmstay for us everywhere.