The latest local council in northern New South Wales to approve a crackdown on illegal freedom campers is planning to cover the cost of mounting night-time ‘raids’ through the fines it collects.
The Clarence Valley Council is preparing to implement a trial freedom camping enforcement program in Yamba over the Christmas and January period, and during Easter. However, enforcing parking restrictions at a series of locations between midnight and 5am will not come cheap.
With $20,000 to be set aside in the 2017/18 budget for the program’s ‘establishment costs’, a council motion has indicated the plan is to have this expense “recouped through penalties during the course of the trial”.
The council’s director environment, planning and community, Des Schroder, said that a similar crackdown in Byron Bay had seen 80% of costs recouped from the fines collected.
However, the Daily Examiner newspaper reports that Mr Schroder conceded that despite the council blitz on camping in Byron Bay, there were still problems in the region.
Mr Schroder said one of the tasks of the enforcement rangers in Yamba would be to re-distribute campers around the region.
“The rangers will be saying to campers there are other areas in the Valley where they can go,” he said. “There are other areas we can put on social media and distribute the tourism load … the message is don’t sleep on the edge of the beaches.”
Some critics of the new enforcement program say it runs the risk of simply pushing the ‘problem’ into other coastal communities. Others also point to the potential economic impact. While they may not have a large accommodation budget, a survey conducted in 2015 in the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council area found the daily spend per free camper equated to $76.
So how are they going to collect the fines from backpackers who leave Australia without paying?
That’s the 20% they can’t account for. So the fact is they’ll hit easy targets like us Grey Nomads. I’ve now added Clarence Valley to my NO GO list…. Their Loss, I’ll spend my money in other council areas that appreciate mp patronage.
Steve, I gather from this comment you support and encourage Illegal Camping??
I suggest that if an overseas visitor is caught breaking the law make them submit their passport details and forward those details to immigration and then its up to them to enforce the fines.
Stay and spend your money elsewhere!
the only way it will work is if the backpackers have to pay the fines before leaving Australia or face detention if they don’t pay
Wheel locks on their vehicles …. at least then the hire company will meet the cost of removal, towing, and the fine.