There are plenty of coastal communities wrestling with what is seen as the problem of groups of free campers staying overnight in public car parks, particularly during the summer months.
Many local authorities, like the Clarence Valley Council in northern New South Wales, have had enough.
Having struggled for years with finding the best way to control and regulate the issue, it is now moving to create stricter rules around freedom camping. At its meeting next week, the council will vote on whether to implement a trial freedom camping enforcement program in Yamba over the Christmas and January period, and during Easter.
The Daily Examiner newspaper reports that, if the measure is voted through, council will allocate $20,000 in the 2017/18 budget for establishment costs.
The council plan is to trial the enforcement program at Turners Beach, Hickey Island, Ocean St, Covent Beach, Pacific Parade, Pippie Beach, Yamba Main Beach, Green Point, Angourie Point, Spookys and the Blue Pools car park.
It is council’s position that the best way to enforce the new rules is to implement parking restrictions. Parking would not be permitted from midnight until 5am. This timeframe was suggested to avoid inconvenience for local surfers.
The Daily Examiner reports that the Clarence Valley Council does not believe regulations and better enforcement will eliminate freedom camping, but it will be a move in the right direction to control the issue. However, it says there are some negatives. The council noted that a survey in 2015 found the daily spend per free camper equated to $76 at the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council area.
On the other hand, some in the area feel that the new enforcement program does not go far enough and, if it is targeted solely at Yamba, will simply push the ‘problem’ into other coastal communities. They argue that the crackdown should be far more widespread across the whole region.
I dont think many grey nomads would be in these “car parks”.
I think there is a bit of a difference between nomad free camping and backpackers free camping Iv seen a number of sights left behind from the packers and they have been left with rubbish left lying around. Toilet paper hanging from trees and uncovered feaces on walk tracks. I don’t kno a nomad who’d do that. Mind you they aren’t all like that buy even picnic areas where they cook up a storm in daylight are left in very untidy ways with their rubbish left to blow around. Sounds like I’m picking on them but I’m not. Just saying. I find the ones by themselves are better than groups of them. This is my observances of them.
I agree 100% with you Kathy. There is a huge difference.
Create a free camping area?
My suggestion would be to make some place that has toilet facilities and water available and make it a 72hr area. This then should be enough for those staying to experience the area. Those that wish to stay longer should be encouraged to go into a aid camping area.
There is one at Maclean show ground. It’s $10 a night 72 her stay. Cute town love it.
I can agree with al the previous comments. But i dislike being hearded into the same corral as back packers. Grey nomads know and understand the complexities of being on the coastal fringes.
I bet you won’t find one of us about these places.
Yamba is a popular spot with all, however their is no low cost alternatives for campers c/ps in the area cater mainly for holiday makers & charge accordingly some do not allow dogs. A low cost 48 hr park outside of the cbd should be looked at by council , o/s van packers come here to experience the country not be hounded out of it by council backed C/p owners.
There is the MacLean Showground …
You Australian as a whole are farrrrrked up !
All you are concerned with these days are how to over-control and over-regulate people (including yourselves) by transforming Australia into the pathetic ‘Nanny State” that it now is !
“She’ll Be Right” , you used to proudly say , but now it never will be – because you over pedantic worry worts have eroded almost every freedom you once enjoyed while boosting your inflation beyond acceptable to pay for your own silly straight jacket regulations.
Here (like every other regulation) …, you choose to concentrate on the one person doing the wrong thing – while the vast majority don’t cause an issue at all ,
.., and it is they (and you) that have to pay !
In this case – it is the one overnight camper in a hundred that might leave a mess, while the rest don’t leave any mess at all …, and are just enjoying the great nation that it could be / should be – and you want to invest your own tax dollars to remove the freedoms you previously enjoyed yourselves while growing up ?
…, yet as the people of a nation , you choose sit back and do nothing (and without balls) as you allow your own Government to sell off its services / assets for privatisation, and even allow foreign investors to buy up your own soil as they rape and pillage your land while they take the profits offshore and out of the Country .., hell, you even offer them loans and tax cuts to do it .
.., She’ll Be Right you say .., hypocrites !
Not just those of us with vehicles but also the people who tour Australia by bicycle. They are being targeted without knowing, they travel at a maximum 100+ kms a day so stop and stay in many more places than us and spend in many more places. They are a small group who are trying to travel far, light and at minimal cost. A solution for all is difficult when cost of running business’s in Australia is so expensive.
The backpackers park in the carpark at Cable Beach and after a while it looks like a tip.They all communicate on Wiki Camps and know when the rangers are coming. I don’t begrudge them a night but please move on during the day. I have seen them on the Esplanade in Townsville washing blowing in the breeze. not a good look to tourists who are paying big dough to stay at Resorts etc, looks like a refugee camp.
A better option would be to allow overnight parking, 5pm to 8am only. The parking would then be used for shoppers or tourists in daylight hours.
Do not mix Back packers with Grey Nomads. Most Grey Nomads do the right thing, Pity that cannot be said for the cheep back packing travelers.
Why doesn’t the council spend it’s $20,000 on making an area for them to park and supplying a few bins?
The human race has a certain percentage of users, and the rest of us need to get on with accepting the fact. I live on the Tweed coast where there are similar problems. What I think theses communities need to keep in mind is the $$$ that international backpackers and Grey Nomads alike, inject into these towns and communities that rely on the tourist dollar. If they stop coming the mess will stop BUT so will the income and jobs will disappear.