THE CHRISTMAS and New Year period was busy for Byron Shire Council’s Enforcement team with 11 staff working early and finishing late to address illegal camping.
“There were no holidays for our Enforcement team in response to ongoing concerns from our community about illegal campers and their behaviour and to let these people know that setting up vans and camping on beaches and in residential streets is not okay any time of the year,” Council’s Director, Sustainable Environment and Economy, Shannon Burt said.
1119 infringement notices for a range of offences, including illegal camping and parking, were issued over the Christmas New Year break.
[xyz-ihs snippet=”Servo”]
The team worked across all the public holidays, starting at 3am in the morning and finishing at midnight, to send the message to illegal campers that they need to pay to stay.
Enforcement staff wrote 218 infringement notices for illegal camping.
“We issued a further 901 penalties for other offences including parking fines which also take in people setting up their vans and sleeping in their cars in no parking areas,” Ms Burt said.
“124 of those parking fines were at Seven Mile Beach Road at Broken Head,” she said.
“Whilst we welcome holiday makers to the Byron Shire and hope they enjoy their stay, there is no place here for people who think they are entitled to park and camp wherever they like,” Ms Burt said.
“Our residents, and visitors who are paying for their accommodation, do not want to see tents on our beaches or in car parks and people setting up their vans in residential streets.
“Despite it being peak season there were still reasonably priced sites at some caravan parks in the Byron Shire so it is clear that the people who were camping illegally were doing so because they wanted free accommodation close to the beach,” she said.
“Many of the complaints we get are from residents who are tired of illegal campers and I’m confident they were pleased to see our Enforcement Officers out and about over the Christmas/New Year period,” Ms Burt said.
“I am pleased that the majority of people fined were very respectful of Council staff, understanding that they had a job to do.
“Illegal camping will continue to be a focus of our Enforcement operations for 2018,” Ms Burt said.
We have created this problem by not providing any free camps for travellers. All over Australia there are free camps for budget travellers.There are also other reasons that people prefer free camping,other than money.
Personally,when I travel in my vehicle,which I have done for many years,I can choose whatever accommodation option I want but because I travel with my dogs,often free camping is the only option.
Lets be creative in thinking up places where there are already toilets and showers and carparks like council offices,football fields,parks etc. Make the hours available with early riser departure and oversee the cleanliness with volunteers like myself,who also travel in vans.Use rangers as last option before Police.
This is BYRON,not Central London or Sydney.Historically Byron tourism would have been for both caravan parkers and free campers.
In 1973,i bought my first VW popup camper and travelled in the summer holiday to Noosa.I know numbers have increased dramatically but there must be a way to provide spots for people. The community halls like Durrumbul and Coorabell also sit empty for most of the time.Council has resources that might be used given some thought rather than fining,move them on to a designated place.