The Sunshine Coast News inbox continues to be flooded with letters about Noosa Council announcing a crackdown on illegal camping.
On Saturday we published many of these letters, but we have received so many more since then that we have decided to run a special Your Say again today.
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via: news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
Not relaxing
Last Monday around 3pm I drove to the Noosa River mouth to relax. What I found were 10 backpacker vans reversed in looking over the splendid views.
What I also found were boot barbecues ablaze with full-on cooking, washing hung out to dry, tables and chairs spread out, outdoor beds with many asleep on them.
It was like I had walked into a private overseas village as they all chatted to each other in their foreign languages. They all completely ignored me as I said hello and tried to walk down to the sand.
I had to leave as it was not relaxing and I did not wish to smell cooking aromas instead of sweet sea breezes.
I guess these tourists had arrived early to get a park and spend the day with kitchens, lounges and beds on hand.
What a shame for the locals.
Susan Russell, Eumundi (March 13)
Possibilities in permits
While I understand the council’s concerns relating to illegal camping, including people sleeping in cars in suburban streets, I believe it owes a duty of care not to adversely impact the hitherto long-term rights of its ratepayers to be able to legally park overnight in the street outside their residences.
My wife and I have lived at a complex in North Shore Road, Mudjimba, for the last four years, with visiting out-of-town friends parking in the street overnight while staying with us due to the lack of on-site visitor carparks within our body corporate – we have only four to cater for 36 units and houses.
The Sunshine Coast Council has recently erected quite a few signs in North Shore Road prohibiting parking of vehicles between 10pm and 4am.
When I phoned council recently to ask whether it could issue permits to local residents, to be displayed under the windscreen of their parked vehicle, no luck at all – I was advised that council does not issue permits except for a couple of specific areas near our hospitals.
Previously enjoyed rights just evaporated without council giving any consideration of the knock-on effect for those ratepayers wishing to continue legally parking in the street outside their residence overnight. Council should evaluate all possible outcomes before making hasty changes.
Alan Parry, Mudjimba (March 11)
About time
If you go to The Spit (Claude Batten Drive) in Noosa, the majority of carparks are not taken up by homeless locals. They are foreign tourists or backpackers that have arrived in the country, bought a van and think that it’s fine to do as they please.
Do any actually check what regulations are in place in the areas they stay? Probably not, or they don’t care.
When they’re all reversed in, facing the beach, with the backs open, sprawled over the footpath with chairs and cooking items, it’s quite annoying to have to weave through them. Another thing is they are loud just talking, never mind any music.
They are not just staying overnight, many are there for days or weeks at a time.
It is about time the council cracks down. They issue tickets over pathetic parking issues day in, day out but don’t do anything about these particular illegal parkers. The mind boggles.
Rant over.
Trina, Noosa (March 13)
Holiday influx
Easter is almost here and we will have caravans from interstate parked on the street with people living in them, and there is nothing you can do about it because Sunshine Coast doesn’t have a local laws person. How about they park outside of our councillors’ homes see what happens then.
John Rew, Mountain Creek (March 12)
Bigger issues
The timing suggests to me that the crackdown was simply to distract residents’ attention from the many other local issues that the council is not addressing. Number one is short-term accommodation.
When over 4000 Noosa properties are being holiday let, it means there are 4000 properties not available for long-term rental by locals, residents and workers. Prioritising tourists over residents always comes at a cost, but this cost is unsustainable given businesses are being starved of staff and unable to operate at their optimum.
Crocodile tears by the powers that be are all very well, but no substitute for action. The issue could be addressed in a single motion – by enforcing residential zoning and excluding commercial businesses (short-term rentals) from family-oriented neighbourhoods.
L. Roberts, Noosa (March 12)
Widespread problem
I am at Caloundra and there’s illegal camping, including all forms of motorhomes, tents and so on, as is occurring all over the Coast.
While many “units” are self-contained, others are freeloading off public facilities or even posing a small health risk by disposing of sullage, and taking up public parking.
Everyone should be subject to the same regulations. Imagine the problems if there is an escalation in tents, caravans and so on clustering at a popular location that could ensue.
Frank Young, Caloundra (March 12)
Short-term fix
I read some of the comments about the crisis housing situation on the Sunhine Coast. Whole families are having to live in their cars, yet there’s comments about the need for them to be moved on – to where?
We have churches empty at night, surely they can open their hearts and allow somewhere to sleep. We have community halls also empty at night, we have large buildings laying empty, why can’t the council step in and make these places available? It’s only a temporary solution but surely would help alleviate some of the huge problem we have.
Diane Derby, Marcoola (March 12)
Accept the disruption
Sure, it is disruptive to have people camping in your neighborhood. Yes, it is terrible that the cost of living, inflation and pandemic fallout has forced folks out of their homes.
However, until we can offer help, solutions or constructive criticism, we (usually privileged, lucky or older) people should accept the disruption as the cost of these issues.
Jeff Tuttle, Caloundra (March 12)
Safety at stake
I believe cracking down on camping is not good because it is tough out there now.
My wife and I took our caravan while out fishing for the day. The van has our belongings in it and food. There were ‘no camping’ signs everywhere, but we were not camping, just fishing. We got told to move so we went elsewhere. We had a few beers and before we realised we had too many to drive so we stayed the night in the van legally parked and both registered and still got harassed.
So what about Driver Reviver stops – have a sleep if need be, but why are police and council now telling people to not worry about these strong, sensible words?
John McNaught, Woodford (March 12)
No enforcement
Some rangers are supposed to work from 7pm until 7am. At Rainbow Beach there were 10 campervans down in the carpark at midnight, so where was the ranger? Asleep? When I tell them it is not a campground they get very angry. There has also been people camping on the beach. I have never seen a ranger at Rainbow Beach.
Also, if they do not move on, clamp their tyres like they do with illegal parking – that will send a message. If you get there and you’re tired, that’s your fault. Don’t tell people to be quiet or turn the music down. Though in the end it all comes down to the ranger to do their job, which at Rainbow is lacking.
W. Dinslage, Wolvi (March 12)
Unwelcome mat
I love going on holiday in Australia and have learnt one thing about destinations: don’t go where you are not welcome.
Australia is a huge place and there are heaps of wonderful destinations. Locals and councils at some overcrowded locations express anger at tourists. It is wise to take note of the as there may be issues staying there. Some of the locations that voice hatred of tourists include Byron Bay, Sydney, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Mount Isa, Ayres Rock, the Mt Warning area and more
These places are just dots on a map. Listen to the locals and don’t go there.
I’m planning a winter get away for a few months in the Kimberley area at the moment.
Stephen Batterham, Charleville (March 12)
Forced out
I’m a long-term travelling caravanner of nine years. My wife and myself lost our home and everything we worked for and it resulted in her taking her own life.
I have no other option but to caravan around looking for accommodation, however it is hard to find suitable and affordable places to stay.
The biggest issue remains backpackers and those who disregard the rules and continue to overstay and pollute areas with their disgusting filth.
I don’t deny anyone the right to travel but do the correct thing – it just makes it harder for those trying to survive, not holidaying.
The humble showgrounds are now becoming unaffordable to pensioners like me. We live in caravans because we have no options. We need more understanding councils to open up more rest areas and overnight stays.
Bob C, Muswellbrook (March 13)
Wrong priorities
We are not rich and are retired. My husband built us a fully self-contained motorhome during Covid as we could not afford to buy an already built $150k-$200k setup as a lot of young people have.
We did all of this so that we could travel in our retirement. This is now something that is becoming less and less affordable. The small number of free camps we have found around Australia are minimal and most have no or very few facilities. Every one we have been in is left spotless and is very much appreciated by the traveller.
It seems that the greed in this country has taken over the caravaning world.
In WA it has been noted that the owners of the caravan parks are becoming members of the council then being totally self-interested to fight and win the battle to stop free camping, forcing you into their mainly poorly maintained expensive carparks for the night. We have not seen many “free camps” as they all have a minimum fee of around $15-$20 per night. This is to park your car and have the use of a drop toilet, which is not needed if you are self-contained.
The money these councils spend on rangers, vehicles with the pretty signage and so on is more than they would ever make going out of their way to make sure everyone pays.
We are Australian citizens who have paid taxes, both state and federal, all our lives. Why should we pay for the use of these parks?
Also on our travels we have seen many thousands of empty car spaces in very sparsely populated areas sit there doing nothing. Why do we have miserable councils not allowing the use of these empty spaces?
It seems even travelling our beautiful country is becoming something only for the rich.
One very disappointed traveller.
Julie and Steve, Maclean, NSW (March 11)
Skyrocketing rentals
I find it a bit ridiculous the laws and rules stating you can’t camp in 99 per cent of areas in Australia. With forced homelessness due to the rising cost of housing and living, it shouldn’t be illegal to camp life.
I understand that there are many who don’t clean up their litter and mess, and use public spaces as urinals, but this should not reflect poorly on others who would keep the areas tidy and make use of appropriate toilet facilities.
I am one of the people who, due to the disgusting cost of living and skyrocketing rent, will sadly have to resort to finding somewhere I can pitch a tent to be able to rest, sleep and live.
Can you imagine if these laws were around in the days of Bourke and Wills? Australia would not have been discovered as it has.
The cost of legal camping grounds is just as expensive, if not more than the cost of private/public housing. Unless you have been on the public housing waiting list for in excess of eight years that’s not a possibility, finding suitable housing that way.
Private housing is just a joke with not being even looked at if you are single and have no-one else to move in with you.
I was recently diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and forcibly removed from the accommodation in Ballina I was living in. Since the floods, rent has increased incredibly (the place I was living in before the floods was $480 per week, it’s now $680 per week). That’s just disgraceful. So I think there should be areas we are allowed to free camp but there’s nothing within 100km of Ballina.
So long as campers are respectful and decent enough to keep the areas clean, not be in the way of pedestrians and public, and have the common sense to not just go to the toilet in a garden, then there should be areas allocated for people in a hard situation.
Looking at being homeless, I purchased a tent and other accessories for camping, only to find I’m not allowed to camp anywhere other than paid camping grounds. Something needs to be done, but if anything it needs to be the cost of renting which is looked at.
Brock McDonald, Ballina, NSW (March 7)
Last resort
My view is the council needs to let up. It’s shameful and a last resort before suicide for majority of these families.
I’ve been homeless twice in the past nine years. There are families now homeless where the parents have full-time jobs, no history of addiction or criminal behaviour, nothing. And they’re still knocked back for rentals.
If I was the council and those of society that want to fine people or judge, I’d be hanging my head in shame. What more do you want from these people? People in refugee camps are getting a better deal.
Cass Munday-Sinclair, Brassall (March 12)
Do you have an opinion to share? Submit a Letter to the Editor at Sunshine Coast News via: news@sunshinecoastnews.com.au. You must include your name and suburb.
