5 days ago
Video shows council's dramatic plan to tackle illegal camping trend: 'Get out'
A major east coast council has continued its crackdown on illegal camping in the area, handing down another 20 fines to travellers caught unlawfully squatting on public land over the weekend.
Noosa Council shared footage on Thursday showing an officer approach a camper in the early hours of the morning, waking the tourist who was asleep in a tent atop a 4WD. "Morning, Noosa Council, I need you to hop up, please," the council officer can be heard saying in the video.
"I need you to jump out of bed, I need to have a chat," she said, prompting a confused grunt from a man inside.
The latest crackdown saw a further 20 people issued fines, bringing the total to 50 in the last fortnight after 30 infringement notices were issued the prior week. Across the last couple of years, the council has embarked on many compliance blitzes, targeting illegal campers who park where they shouldn't, as well as those responsible for leaving council reserves and public areas in a messy state.
With the help of Queensland Police, the latest blitz focused on eastern beaches hotspots, including Victory Park at Peregian Beach, where residents continue to report a large number of campers illegally staying overnight.
Noosa council vows to defeat illegal camping
Director of Regulation and Development at Noosa Council, Richard MacGillivray, said it was working on "several fronts" to curb the frustrating trend. "Information from locals about where the campers are congregating, dumping rubbish and using parks and gardens as toilets continues to guide our enforcement efforts, both jointly with police and our own routine patrols," he said.
"We are working with camping website providers and social media platforms to ensure these forums are only circulating accurate information about where travellers can lawfully park overnight in Noosa."
Council said it will also be expanding the 10pm to 4am no-parking signage trial at Noosa Spit "into other areas" to curb illegal camping, including Victory Park and Beach Access 50 at Peregian.
To ensure the $333 fines are paid, council will explore several enforcement avenues. "International visitors aren't exempt from paying the fines," MacGillivray warned.
"If they don't pay, there are means of pursuing that debt through the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) and can be flagged with immigration as they attempt to leave or re-enter the country."
Special considerations given to those 'genuinely homeless'
MacGillivray said people battling homelessness wouldn't be targeted.
"There are occasions where our staff come across local people who are genuinely homeless and living in their cars because they have no other option," MacGillivray said.
"Of course, we don't fine people in this situation, we link them with local support agencies that can offer them safe accommodation and other assistance."
The council worker said it's the illegal campers seeking a cheap holiday who the authorities are targeting. "Those who think it's OK to leave a mess, disrespect our environment and monopolise our parking areas for long periods," he warned.
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Noosa Council offers a range of campgrounds for travellers. The council says they are purpose-built for campervans, offering powered sites, cooking facilities and toilet and bathroom facilities.
"It's at these facilities that travellers should be parking up and camping overnight, not our streets," MacGillivray said.
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