Eight months later, that motion has not been rescinded, although camping apparently puts campers in breach of the Local Government Act as well as the POM.
Local government critic Paul Owens of Coramba said breaches of Section 68 of the Local Government Act 1993, covering which activities require the approval of councils, could leave campers liable to fines of more than $5500.
The mayor said Coffs Harbour deserved to have the "jewel in the crown" Jetty Foreshores area for the community and there was no way to be fair to campers and discriminate between RVs, caravans and campervans.
"We've already got an area on Stadium Dr where black water (from RVs) can be emptied and I have no problem at all with finding somewhere for them, but not on the foreshores," Cr Knight said.
"Our rangers are already stretched.
"Grey nomads might spend a bit of money, but most of it is spent at multinationals - supermarkets and service stations.
"We need to protect our area."
Is this mayor for real re the spending of grey nomads only spending in the multinationals business's , where does she buy her food fuel and if not for these Multinational business a lot of the locals she is supposed to represent may not have a job.
You all have herd the old saying...there is DUMB and DUMBER in this world !!!!
Assuming your quotes are correct Herbie it is regrettably that Coffs Harbour appears to have a Mayor with little PR foresight and difficulties presenting logical and accurate data. "Grey Nomads might spend a bit of money". There is no 'might' about it. What precisely is a 'bit of money' research indicates spending figures ranging between $500 and $650 pw. In her opinion "we need to protect our area". From what I ask? It appears from these remarks that the Mayor considers campers are a threat not an economic opportunity. The red herring that "... there was no way to be fair to campers and discriminate between RV's, caravans and camper vans" is absurd. Heavy vehicles are not allowed to park for more than an hour on public streets in a built-up area -is this discrimination or just common sense? Vehicles whether they are RVs or whatever are parking/camping regulated according to the constraints of local infrastructure dictated by local by-laws and state regulation. This mayor is undoing the favourable PR and opinion that RVers have about putting Coffs Harbour on their itinerary and is verging strongly on positioning Coffs Harbour as an RV unfriendly town. Given the competition between States for the 'drive tourism dollar' someone at State level needs to have a word with the Mayor about alienating a much sought after source of revenue.
What's the problem here ,if you cannot stay move on there are other places that welcome you and your cash,besides whats special about bloody coffs anyway
Too right Barrie, theres nothing all that special about Coffs, we went there for a day trip and decided to bypass it theres heaps more beaches southward, far less crowded and much prettier. Take a picnic look around - it wont take long, then drive on, spend your $ where it is appreciated.
Assuming your quotes are correct Herbie it is regrettably that Coffs Harbour appears to have a Mayor with little PR foresight and difficulties presenting logical and accurate data. "Grey Nomads might spend a bit of money". There is no 'might' about it. What precisely is a 'bit of money' research indicates spending figures ranging between $500 and $650 pw. In her opinion "we need to protect our area". From what I ask? It appears from these remarks that the Mayor considers campers are a threat not an economic opportunity. The red herring that "... there was no way to be fair to campers and discriminate between RV's, caravans and camper vans" is absurd. Heavy vehicles are not allowed to park for more than an hour on public streets in a built-up area -is this discrimination or just common sense? Vehicles whether they are RVs or whatever are parking/camping regulated according to the constraints of local infrastructure dictated by local by-laws and state regulation. This mayor is undoing the favourable PR and opinion that RVers have about putting Coffs Harbour on their itinerary and is verging strongly on positioning Coffs Harbour as an RV unfriendly town. Given the competition between States for the 'drive tourism dollar' someone at State level needs to have a word with the Mayor about alienating a much sought after source of revenue.
Hello Longreach, if you want to read the content I posted re Coffs Harbour, just Google in The Daily Examiner 23/10/2013,the article is in there i think it must be there local paper.
I agree in what you posted RL, no the rate payers should not have to pay for ANYONE'S holiday or way of life,including grey nomads / back packers/ family/,but I take it as a offensive slur in the mayor singling out Grey Nomads in her statement regarding only spending in the multinational business's in the town.All other visitors to Coffs Harbour would be doing the same thing not just Grey Nomads...and with out these big business's they probably wouldn't be in her town if it wasn't for the tourist trade.
We all only have x amount of $ each to spend per week,and yes I find it hard to believe some of these figures they come up with regarding how much is spent by the tourist...Looking at your figures shows tha
-- Edited by herbie on Saturday 26th of October 2013 01:27:07 PM
Interesting to see that several posts(ers) have not found much to attract them to Coffs.
This is the same for us. The run down Big Banana is in our opinion typical of the place. We have had several day trips to Coffs & can find no reason to stay there.
Having said that we love the nearby Woolgoolga on the north & Urunga on the south.
On our frequent trips down the NSW coast from Brisbane, we choose one of these places on the way down & the other on the way back.
The most memorable thing about Coffs is the drive through it .. seems to go on for ever .... The bypass can't come soon enough for us.
I can't wait for others to post a list of things that they like about the place.
-- Edited by Cupie on Saturday 26th of October 2013 12:26:21 PM
~~SNIP~~ "Grey Nomads might spend a bit of money". There is no 'might' about it. What precisely is a 'bit of money' research indicates spending figures ranging between $500 and $650 pw. ~~SNIP~~
Gday...
The usual practice of quoting these "weekly spends" attributed to "Grey Nomads" needs to be taken in a bit of context.
My ANNUAL budget is a little less than $500/week ... and that includes my EVERY expense, including rego, insurances, doctors and scripts, phone, internet, clothes etc.
I usually spend fuel and tucker at stops in towns - $100 fuel and maybe $50 for tucker. I rarely stay in van parks but even if I did stop at a van park to spend on the fuel and tucker, that only adds $50 (max) to that - all up a potential $200. Of course that is a weekly spend and I probably stay in one, two, three, four or five such "free" camps before I spend all that in a week. So perhaps only one town for all the stops for that week will get "my money".
Fuel goes to multinationals, tucker quite probably will go to multinationals and the van park probably goes to a local. However, I guess the only bit that would get to locals is the small % that stays in the town as wages for the local working in those places.
Residents, and the council's supporting them, have every right to limit (or remove) these 'rest areas' that use up rate revenue that is not really contributing that much to LOCAL financial benefit.
I would like to hear from other GNs on here who would spend $500-$650 each week - let alone in each town they stop in for their overnight or two at a "free" camp. I feel there would not be too many of us.
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
We stopped at the Show Grounds CP for 2 days earlier this year. That was enough for us - we won't be going back if that is their attitude. Pulled up at Corindi Beach, about 35k north of CH, last time through - nice spot close to the water.
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MY14 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited - Jurgens Lunagazer
Hi , Subaru, if you are waiting for "the bypass" through Coffs , this is about as good as it gets , powers that be decided it couldn't happen as Coffs is a "destination " cheers Lyn
Coffs is only a bit over an hour from us & we dont even go there when home, its too bloody busey, bad enough having to drive through there when heading north.
Maybe the city status has gone to their head. like said by others there are many other nicer & quiter places both north & south of there.
JC.
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Be your self; there's no body better qualified ! "I came into this world with nothing , I still have most of it"
The statistic of average $500 weekly spend was reported in a study of self-contained vehicles commissioned by the CMCA in 2010 called 'The Self Contained RV Market:2010 and beyond'. Fuel $210, Expenses $160, Repairs/maintenance $25, site fees $51 and Other $46 ($492). Other more recent studies put the weekly figure higher. These figures are an average and the weekly spend range would likely include figures both higher and lower than your expenditure.
Do keep in mind that multinationals pay substantial rates to local councils and provide other economic and social benefits. I am not aware that local ratepayers are being disadvantaged by those free campers using the foreshore area. In fact a survey by a local paper invited Coffs residents to comment on the camping issue on the foreshore with an overwhelming 67% (last I looked) favouring free camping in their town.
