'It's okay, no one will ever guess we plan to stay a while!'
With summer just around the corner, many coastal communities are preparing for their annual battle to prevent so-called stealth campers from parking up for the night in residential streets or public car parks.
Heavy fines can be handed out by some local authorities as they conduct dawn patrols around stealth camping hotspots. While young, overseas backpackers in campervans are traditionally associated with the practice, there are certainly some grey nomads who occasionally seek out a surreptitious street camping ‘opportunity’.
One of the places most determined to take a hard line on the issue is the Byron Shire in northern New South Wales where an estimated 120-160 campervans might illegally camp each night.
The fines for illegal camping range from an on-the-spot fine of $110 to a maximum of $2200.
“Residents are sick and tired of people illegally camping where they like, often leaving their mess behind, setting up make-shift kitchens in parks and on footpaths and using the area as a toilet, as well,” Byron Shire Council’s Director Sustainable Environment and Economy, Shannon Burt, told the Northern Star newspaper. “Recently people were illegally camping in the dunes at Belongil and the mess they left was disgusting … staff were cleaning up faeces, toilet paper, domestic waste, tents and furniture.”
She said there was the added problem of illegal camping in bushland around Broken Head and Brunswick Heads, and foolish behaviour had resulted in a recent bushfires at Tallow Beach and Belongil.
“We have enforcement patrols working seven days a week driving around and fining people, many of whom are overseas visitors,” she told the Northern Star. “Council puts a lot of resources into this area and our staff work shifts starting at 4am with the specific aim of targeting illegal campers in the hope they will spread the word that it is not allowed in the Byron Shire.”
Ms Burt said the council was talking to campervan companies, the Rural Fire Service, National Parks and Wildlife Service, and the police to develop strategies to combat the illegal camping problem.
120 vehicles overnight – 240 people who probably spend about $50 per day each = $12000 PER DAY – multiplied by the standard 5 times flow on effect in the area (locals spending that money) = a benefit to the community of $60,000 PER DAY. PER DAY! Thats a lot of money to throw away EACH DAY!
Byron Shire do not want tourists but then they advertise for more to come. Then they complain about lack of infrastructure to handle them.
They are a green dominated council who would rather go back to the dark ages.
If they are in suitable places. Not in streets or parks and sont leave any mess. If they are in proper camping areas or caravan parks they stil spend money.
Used to have a junk shop in a small town. If people asked about free camping we let them use our back yard. Never any problems, and they spent money at the pub, the store and mine! Win, win for more businesses, especially when they stayed for a few days.
I take my money, little that I have, and spend it away from those tourist traps on the coast. If all van owners, caravanners did the same then maybe they complainers would see who really is at fault. Help rural Australia, not the greedy turds on the coast. It’s not just vehicle campers who get blamed but also cyclists and motorbike riders who camp in tents.
Iam staying in a little van park in S.A (waiting for harvest to start. You have to ring the caretaker (council run he doesn’t live on site ) to arrange ablution keys and pay. 3 night in a row stealth camping has taken place after 9.30pm and only one was a wizbang. Its just bad manners /behavior.
We are looking at buying a motorhome and one dealer told us that as the motorhome is your mode of transport you can pretty much park anywhere due to ‘driver reviver’. Anyone know if this is true?
I was advised by the police in W.A. afew years ago that they cannot make you move on if you are suffering from driver fatigue
Rubbish!
You need to carry a document that states you are tired and resting. You ask the person disturbing you to sign it as it states they take responsibility for any accident you may cause because you were moved on. NO ONE ever wants to sign and you are left in peace.
Hi I have camped beside the tweed river at Chinderah a fellow camper got booked by the tweed shire Rangers $110 fine he decided to take it to courts the magistrate threw it out of court reason .the area has high homeless being in his camper he wasn’t sleeping on the streets & out of harms way .Tweed shire wake up since cyclone Debbie past through the area
The caravan/ motor home industry is making a fortune flogging self sufficient rigs to grey nomads. Caravan parks are progressively filling the parks with expensive cabins making less space for campers. Vehicle Rental companies are attracting overseas tourists to Australia to drive and camp. With considerable profits, Somewhere along the line councils and these companies have got to get their act together and think about the campers spending big dollars and getting short changed in the process
We see the oversea’s back packers giving the real grey nomads a bad name./ Tared with the same Brush. We never parkup on a beach front/ tourist aera or in front of residential propert.
Never had a bad word against us. We leave no foot print. If a town Is not an RV friendly town. Our spending is kepted in check, till such folks want our $200 – $300 spend, used in their rural community.
We get a big thankyou, more and more every week.$18,000 to $20,000PA. With 160,000 + RV’s doing the same each and every year.
That adds up alone.
Add the families on school Holidays X 4 and you have a big
CASH COW.
Wake up Shires Australia wide. Think outside the Square or others will do it for you.
I can understand the people in the areas being upset it people just crap where ever and leave rubbish after they leave I’m traveling in Wa at the moment and nearly every road side stop is covered in toilet paper and shit I am discussed at people’s behaviour and lack of respect for other people there are plenty of toilets in the towns so why don’t they use them and further more I thought you had to be fully self contained to camp at those places
Boycott Byron Council Area! They don’t want the passing trade.
They want the passing trade. They are just too shortsighted to see it. Plus they cave in to pressure from greedy park owners who want ALL the money. Everone loses.
IF councils put bins, and porta-loos at favourite spots…that would alleviate a problem..right?…and the campers will spend $ in town…and come back.
Word will spread, that the council isn’t all about greedily accepting $ through “legal” parks=more happier people=happier businesses=Happier council
Sounds like Byron rhymes with moron narrow minded council / caravan parks!! , get with the program = tourists / back packers etc dont want a $40 a night!! , some where to park up with a dunny and a bin , not rocket science.
Councils everywhere and NSW in particular should wake up to the potential economic benefits to their communities from providing basic free camping facilities to those who cannot afford the fees charged by caravan parks. And yes this includes grey nomads and young families trying to enjoy the dream of camping and travelling around Australia. Is it any wonder that many Australians prefer to holiday overseas rather than their own country? Stop treating free campers like criminals. Provision of basic facilities free of cost is a win win for all concerned and possibly the only way to prevent the negatives of uncontrolled free camping which will continue to grow with increasing costs to councils and ratepayers in policing and other associated costs in maintaining the current laws which quite obviously are not working.
We are part-time travellers who own a fully self-contained motorhome. We will stay in caravan parks/campgrounds when it suits but otherwise choose to free-camp. At parks & campgrounds you have to be out by 10am. Hubby has several medical conditions and doesn’t know from one day to the next if he will be Ok to travel (most of the time he’s fine). We subscribe to “don’t destroy what you came to enjoy” & often clean up others messes at free camp sites before we set up and later leave. Don’t categorise everyone under the same banner. Prosecute those who do the wrong thing & leave in peace those who just want to travel this wonderful country in peace!
Port Macquarie Hastings council surveyed the free campers to see if they provided any economic benefits to the town. There were none, (apart for say Woolies and Aldi) quite the reverse when ratepayers money is wasted cleaning up their mess was factored in. Most of the free campers are tourists who don’t care they take up 2 carparks at the beach, one for their van and another to set up their table and chairs (overseas tourists) or park their vans across 3 or 4 carparks (grey nomads). The mess in the dunny blocks and bushland is gross and we all lose the amenity of the beaches here. Perhaps some of these travellers need to consider it really does cost money to travel. But, if you want to spend your holiday in a carpark…well that’s something I can’t really understand. If I’m ranting on the wrong website…well sorry but all coastal communities have to put up with illegal camping and its got to stop.