No Free Camping in Douglas Shire, North Queensland.

Cuppa · Guru

No Free Camping in Douglas Shire, North Queensland.

yobarr · Guru

Cuppa wrote:

My response to Douglas Shire Council below:

Brilliant! Unfortunately,it is unlikely to have the desired effect.Perhaps the caravan parks are owned by councillors..been there,done that when we saw councillors on a local council vote to privately build a crematorium,and then lease it back to the council. Cheers

dabbler · Guru

Douglas Shire and places like Byron-Tweed get a lot of backpackers and others looking for no cost options and they will pull over anywhere quiet. They typically cost more than just providing facilities. Years ago, Byron discovered these campers didn't really contribute to the economy and decided only way to control illegal camping was to police and fine plus close existing free camps. There are low cost camping options just none provided by council. Whether you use facilities provided by other councils doesn't mean your council is free-riding.

travelyounger · Guru

They can have that place and the stingers ,crocs, midgies mosquitos backpackers ,murky water crowds and so on an overrated place for me Cheers

yobarr · Guru

travelyounger wrote:
They can have that place and the stingers ,crocs, midgies mosquitos backpackers ,murky water crowds and so on an overrated place for me Cheers

Absolutely agree! As someone who has spent a bit of time up there,I can say that it is well over-rated,and Port Douglas is full of pretentious people.Bit of a disappointment all round,really. Cheers.

PeterX · Senior Member

RE "...Byron discovered these campers didn't really contribute to the economy..." They must be buying food ???

PeterX · Senior Member

Facebook link for post above

https://www.facebook.com/douglasshirecouncil/posts/3780225032041374
or
www.facebook.com/douglasshirecouncil/posts/3780225032041374

dabbler · Guru

Byron found their own residents couldn't always find a park in the business area because backpackers etc would park anywhere. Businesses would complain customers couldn't find a park nearby. A family friend owned a coffee shop and restaurant and was one of a few who lobbied council and addressed council meetings on the subject The tiny amount of money spent in supermarket is meaningless in an area that relies on tourists not shoppers. I would expect Douglas Shire sees it the same way. As travellers, we need to realise local economies need dollars for services far more than dollars for goods. A cuppa and cake in a cafe does more to boost a local economy than a packet of TimTams from Coles.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Living at home, we buy food, bought a new fridge as our 30 year old one died, bought a couple of small bits for the car, a small piece of timber for home.

We picked up a few things from council rubbish collections & chucked out one or two others, basically a swap.

We hand grind our own coffee as we prefer it to a bought coffee.

& pay our council rates etc.

There are only so many bought meals we can cope with while on holidays! We can't buy anymore tourist artefacts as our unit as it is full, or go on so many boat trips etc.

So I really don't know what to spend money on. It is the same if I am in the Outback or in Europe.

dabbler · Guru

That's quite understandable Whenarewethere and I imagine it's fairly common. In our case we don't free camp at pubs unless we buy meal so we often camp elsewhere because the expense can't be sustained. I'm not suggesting people should do the tourist thing with knick-knack purchases, river cruises, entry fees and buy every other meal because I'm not likely to do that myself. What I am saying is expect communities to support the people who support them. When it's a tourist destination, that means tourist activities, tourist prices and tourist facilities.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Manly Council, my area, did a survey years ago & found about 1 in 10 tourists that come to Manly might buy an ice cream!

These days even the rats have abandoned ship. Its pretty quiet from the harbour beach to the ocean beach & a lot of commercial space for lease.

Bicyclecamper · Guru

For everybody, whom cannot afford a caravan park overnite, on the coast, come inland less then half the price and nicer people

Whenarewethere · Guru

Same as camping in Italy, go to the stunning quieter inland places. They are half the price of overcrowded coastal camping, in general!

Skyler · Member

If I am legally parked in my self-contained Motor home, don't step out of it, and sleep in it overnight, how can that be defined as camping? Does anyone know if a legal challenge has ever been mounted on this issue?

Wizardofoz · Guru

yobarr wrote:
travelyounger wrote:
They can have that place and the stingers ,crocs, midgies mosquitos backpackers ,murky water crowds and so on an overrated place for me Cheers
Absolutely agree! As someone who has spent a bit of time up there,I can say that it is well over-rated,and Port Douglas is full of pretentious people.Bit of a disappointment all round,really. Cheers.

Not quite right, it depends on where you stay and what you do whilst there...I live in Port Douglas and I can honestly say, to me it is paradise, then again, I live in the suburbs and only go into town maybe once a week, out here we are a friendly lot and everybody gets to know you and talk to you. At the golf club they are all great, never had so much fun.

when I do go back to my NSW home to visit the kids, I feel lost and deserted, everybody, including the kids are busy, busy, busy, working and moving at too fast a pace for me, I can't wait the hell out there again and back to beautiful 'Douglas'. biggrin

-- Edited by Wizardofoz on Tuesday 17th of November 2020 09:07:24 AM

-- Edited by Wizardofoz on Tuesday 17th of November 2020 09:10:17 AM

Phillipn · Guru

Skyler wrote:
If I am legally parked in my self-contained Motor home, don't step out of it, and sleep in it overnight, how can that be defined as camping? Does anyone know if a legal challenge has ever been mounted on this issue?

Some time ago their was a fellow who received a fine in Kununurra for pulling up for a sleep in a motor home. A council ranger told him to move on, he refused to move as he need to rest and received a fine. He told the ranger that he would see them in court.

The next morning he fronted the council and they dropped the charge as they knew they could not win.

The rules are if you need to rest you must rest.

Tony LEE · Guru

"The rules are if you need to rest you must rest" No chance of that argument holding up anywhere in cooee of a caravan park or motel though. Where is this rule written down. In Spain the definition of "not camping" in your vehicle is enshrined in law, but not here. Couple of years ago many nsw rest areas sprouted no camping-penalties apply signs and I asked the minister to define "camping" and tell me what penalties apply. Got some bs answer so I doubt whether they thought it through when it comes to RV s

Whenarewethere · Guru

One is too tired to drive & is at risk of having an accident so must sleep until the morning.

Phillipn · Guru

Tony LEE wrote:
"The rules are if you need to rest you must rest" No chance of that argument holding up anywhere in cooee of a caravan park or motel though. Where is this rule written down. In Spain the definition of "not camping" in your vehicle is enshrined in law, but not here. Couple of years ago many nsw rest areas sprouted no camping-penalties apply signs and I asked the minister to define "camping" and tell me what penalties apply. Got some bs answer so I doubt whether they thought it through when it comes to RV s

If you care to take a look in the search of this forum, the case that I commeted on was well documented. Their was a caravan park nearby.

This is Australia not Spain.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

dabbler wrote:
Douglas Shire and places like Byron-Tweed get a lot of backpackers and others looking for no cost options and they will pull over anywhere quiet. They typically cost more than just providing facilities. Years ago, Byron discovered these campers didn't really contribute to the economy and decided only way to control illegal camping was to police and fine plus close existing free camps. There are low cost camping options just none provided by council. Whether you use facilities provided by other councils doesn't mean your council is free-riding.

Do any search you like and you will find that the amount that backpackers contribute to the Australian economy is measured in BILLIONS of dollars annually.

Cheers,

Peter

blaze · Guru

Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
dabbler wrote:
Douglas Shire and places like Byron-Tweed get a lot of backpackers and others looking for no cost options and they will pull over anywhere quiet. They typically cost more than just providing facilities. Years ago, Byron discovered these campers didn't really contribute to the economy and decided only way to control illegal camping was to police and fine plus close existing free camps. There are low cost camping options just none provided by council. Whether you use facilities provided by other councils doesn't mean your council is free-riding.
Do any search you like and you will find that the amount that backpackers contribute to the Australian economy is measured in BILLIONS of dollars annually.
Cheers,
Peter

and aren't they finding that out now, no slave labor for the farmers or the hospitality industry. I was duty manager at the biggest backpackers in Broome, the backpackers worked hard and partied even harder, spent a lot of money. Most had there return tickets payed for and when they left they had basicly zero dollars left, if they had a car to sell they may end up with $500

cheers

blaze

dabbler · Guru

It's well known backpackers contribute Billions to our economy. They save enough to move around and the rest is disposable income they earn is churned back into the economy and we are now in the position as a country that we rely in backpackers as rural labour forces. It's anomalous but if we used Australians instead of backpackers, our production would be safer now but the economy would see less money circulating. If Byron Shire producers used a predominantly backpacker labour, they'd soon let their council know. But they don't because places like Byron employ restaurant, bar and hotel staff not farm labourers. These people live in hostels or better not humpies and wizz-bangers camped on the scrub. That pattern is repeated across the country in every tourist destination. Backpackers to places like Darwin, Cairns, Gold Coast, Byron, Sydney etc all stay in hostels or rent expensive luxury apartments as a group if they working. There are places in the region where backpackers are (where) the main rural workforce but they're hours away and nowhere near Byron.

bgt · Guru

I was involved with many councils re over night camping. Trust me, they have the rules and bylaws to move you on. Not all councils are the same. But they have the power. BUT when it comes to highways and rest areas that's another issue. There a lot of "experts" on this subject on various forums. But it's not as simple as some make out.

Cuppa · Guru

A number of posters in this thread appear to be under the misapprehension that Douglas Shire covers only Port Douglas. This is not so, it covers Mossman (where the shire offices are located), Daintree Village, Upper Daintree (ie. north of the river) & many other localities.