BALGAL Beach residents are furious their million dollar view is being spoilt by thoughtless caravan & motorhomers users who spill outside the campgground and in front of their homes.
Long-term resident Ray Sparks said that after eight years he had had enough.
The caravan park is free to users but they are expected to move on after 48 hours.
Mr Sparks said campers often didn't leave after this period.
He said the situation had been getting worse, with bins left overflowing and waste water being left to drain across the front of their properties.
"They are packed in like sardines inside the campground and they don't move on after 48 hours, which isn't fair for other campers," he said.
"They spill out on to the Esplanade and block the view of the beach for residents ... they have been coming back thicker and thicker each year.
"My wife and I don't mind sharing the views but they block our own view and they stay there for days."
Mr Sparks said council had installed signs two years ago to remind people of their move-on obligations, but that campers had ignored the warnings.
"We do get the loud ones," he said.
"They arrive late at night, 8, 9 10pm and then leave really early at 4am and we have lost quite a bit of sleep," Mr Sparks said.
"There are a good few people affected - one couple were staying in their holiday home and have since packed up and left.
"A fortnight ago there was a group of three or four who were lighting up driftwood on the beach and we were copping a lot of smoke. The police came and moved them on."
Local councillor Sue Blom admitted the situation was serious and warned the campgrounds could be shut down.
"It disrupts the residents' lifestyles ... instead of seeing the beautiful oceans they are seeing motorhomes," she said. "Some of these houses are very valuable and people bought them there for a reason."
-- Edited by gst on Monday 11th of July 2011 01:54:19 PM
It seems to be a common problem, gst. However, no regulation will ever be observed - be it parking, speed limit, whatever - unless it is policed. Every society has its parasites, who frequently spoil things for the rest of us.
Would it be possible for local residents to get together with the council and arrange for someone - or several - in the community to check on these campers each day? This person could be a volunteer, or even paid a small stipend, to simply record the campers each day and ask over-stayers to move on. Non-compliance could be passed directly on to police, if the regulations are set up properly - no need for arguments or confrontations.
I imaging that it would also be wise for the council to set a limit on the number of campers allowed at any one time, and to make that clear on notices in the area. And perhaps they need to pay more attention to frequent clearing of rubbish bins.
All of this depends, of course, on whether the district wants visitors and has businesses where they can spend their dollars, which will contribute to the cost of running the campground.
Andrea
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Free-ranging, in a Southern Cross 5th wheeler, in between property-minding (to save money!).
I bet if they were charged a small fee they would move on a lot quicker. Someone needs to keep an eye on it. In Kumbia where they have an honesty box an old chap comes over every few days and empties the honesty box. I bet he is keeping a note of anyone overstaying the 48 hour limit.
Where is Balgal Beach?? I've never heard of it.
-- Edited by Happywanderer on Monday 11th of July 2011 03:21:14 PM
While we all want to be happy campers, do our best not to impose on the locals, there are others who believe they have a God-given right to park wherever they want to, for as long as they want to without any consequences. Unfortunately that's life, but the darker side of life. I believe it's bad manners and very inconsiderate to park on someone else's verge without prior consultation with the property owners, the local authorities etc. If it's just an overnight stop, surely there are other less intrusive places they could park up so they don't impose on others. If the caravan park isn't big enough in peak times, maybe it's time for the council to explore the options of expanding or appointing an overflow area for the busy times only. Obviously it's a problem.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
We camped at a few of the free camps north of Townsville last year (all controled by the Dearjun???? council) when we arived at Saunders beach the word was the rangers only come Tuesday and Thursday so if you get in on Friday you can stay to the following Thursday or in the case of Blue Water (24 hr) Wednesday. Anyway the council got wind of this and now the Rangers drop in at random times and more often. so now things are a bit better and fines apply to people who overstay. Now Balgal is a top little spot and you have to be there early to get a spot as soon as someone leaves (we didn't even try). What we noticed was "Ferrals" not back packers or grey nomads are the biggest problem in all the free spots in the area. By ferrals I mean locals who live in what ever they can get and just move from one spot to another usually causing trouble. Admittedly a few Travellers over stay but not many. I think maybe the bloke who complained to the paper used the worst example he could, lets face it a lot of people do day trips to the beach and park all day, legally, in front of houses. Like Kandagal says the bloody midgies eat you alive. Tumala beach is a lot better.
we live in townsville and there are no businesses in balgal beach that rely on travellers.I don't think grey nomads are the problem 'the problem would be townsville locals on school holidays or long weekends.the other problems are backpackers in their vans.
the problem with rubbish is the same everywhere,you should never leave anything that wasn't there to start with unless disposed of properly.
Iwas out at Balgal beach when i was up there ...not to camp we stay in townsville and travel out from there ...only campers at Balgal beach at that time was 4 backpacker vans and a dog ... was bit of rubbish about but no more then any other camp.... but was lovely spot anyway
-- Edited by lilly31 on Monday 11th of July 2011 06:10:19 PM
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The clearest path in life is always the one behind you....
Blagal is a beaut place during daylight but once the sun goes down its the pits, sand fllies, midgies and mozzies will carry you and your gear away...
On a brighter front, saw on the local Limestone Coast (MT Gambier) WIN News tonight that the Riverland around berri and Barmera Lions club is trying to set up a GN campground in the BErri area in a bid to attract the GN to the area.
The Lions and Council have realised the value that the GN's provide to the local businesses and communitty.
Hoo Roo Happy Days
Grumpster
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Leave only footprints - Take only photographs
LEAVE THE PLACE IN A BETTER CONDITION THAN YOU FOUND IT !!!
Policing of over stayers is a Council Ranger duty not a volunteer group. If locals aren't happen ring council and keep ringing until they get action. I found here in Port that the O/S Back Packers in there old camper vans are the prime suspect for over staying and leaving the area like a tip site and sewage farm but our rangers are right onto it and the problem is slowly reducing
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Pets are welcome but children must be leashed at all times
not sure if i agree with the, "bad luck to the house owners", thats what they are complaining about, and surely if people only camped one or maybe two nights they could take their rubbish with them.
Just come back from Berri they have a free camp spot there already called Martins Bend it is in the camps 5 book they have a permanent caretaker there great place to stay and the max is 30 days. Helena.
The roadside free camps in the NW of WA have "24hour stopping" signs, yet we have seen people who look to have been there for weeks. And the areas are so thickly littered with toilet paper etc its enough to make you literally sick! From a couple of conversations we had with the long-stayers. they seem to think it is their right.
I dont know what/who can fix this problem, theres none so deaf as those who ignore the rules.
Unfortunately these are the ones who are causing the closure of so many wonderful spots, all you can do is report report report and hope that the local authorities will act.
As for The Northern Beaches of Townsville or any other part of that councils area there is little to no chance of getting any action, it went from bad to worse with the forced council amalgamation, what with the gaylord moonie and then farmer tyrell......
I feel for the locals, but again all they can do is ring ring ring and keep ringing till they get action....ring the police if need be, the coppers will soon get fed up with it and rip one up the council to fix the issue.
If there is a litter and polution issue ring the EPA hotlline...
As Gerty says theres none so deaf as those who ignore the rules, may be a fine or two might make then wake up to themselves.
In the big picture they are ruining it for all of us genuine GN who care for and look after our facilities, I know my moto is always leave it cleaner than you found it.
Hoo Roo Happy Days
Grumpster
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Leave only footprints - Take only photographs
LEAVE THE PLACE IN A BETTER CONDITION THAN YOU FOUND IT !!!
gst wrote: "They arrive late at night, 8, 9 10pm and then leave really early at 4am"
I've seen this tactic used by many nomads before. Usually it is done so to circumvent paying camping fee's. The train of thought is to arrive late after the caretaker has gone home or knocked off and leave early before they wake or come around for morning check.
But then we also have to look at the other side of the coin here (I'm not condoning anything here just looking at all angles), there are a lot of people and families out there who are desperately feeling financial pressure - as such free or cheap campsites are a goldmine to them. They can setup reasonably permantly and live a somewhat normal life. It is sad there are people in this situation, although it does not excuse littering and stupidity.
Granted a lot of free style place have probably become haunts for the less desirable human element - this is one for the police to pursure and move them on. But they are only going to go somewhere else and become someone elses problem - history repeats itself again and again.
I came across a family once doing just this setup in a camping ground virtually permanant. Kinda sad to see really they had lost their house and obviously needed somewhere somewhat stable for the kids. The mum had lost her job and the dad was working three part-time jobs just to scratch by. To cut a long story short the powers that be of the said camping area decided in their wisdom that this family needed to go, siting claims of disturbance to others - others! I was the only other camper there for 4 weeks and never seen a soul not even a passing car! They keep their site neat and tidy and always took their rubbish away. So the officals rocked up ready to go to war and I'm sitting on the step of my bus watching all this unfold, one of them comes over to me and asks if I would like to file a complaint and I said 'What against them or you goons for harrassing them without reason', I explained to this guy that they were pretty decent people just having a hard time and they never caused any trouble whatsoever.
I'm not sure what become of the family, I know they weren't there the last time I went past - hopefully they have found something better.
I've come across a lot of families travelling around permantly whilst some may not agree with the idea of kids been carted across the country I believe it has definate advantage for the kids - one they get to experience things that many kids would never experience and may never experience. They also learn street smarts, as in who to talk to and not to talk to, they learn a lot more about the country and the environment by default due to their lifestyle - and they still do schooling. Schooling programs can be arranged for kids on the road, and you can even go further and get onto the school of the airs IDL satellite setup I would guess. One family I met the kids could pick off names of birds just like that, how many kids attending normal schooling could do this?
Having said all this I definately couldn't afford to rent a property here in Geelong, its just beyond my financial scope - end of story. I'm just lucky my mate lets me whack my bus and trailer in his front yard in between my jaunts.
There was another similar area up around the Yarra Valley which used to have free camping - it suffered a similar fate with all the undesirables piling in there and it looking like a travelling circus site. In the end they shut it down because genuine travellers wouldn't stop there due to the excessive amount of drinking and drugs consumed by the people who took up residence there - can't say I blame anyone for not stopping there I wouldn't either.
-- Edited by VK3FEMT on Tuesday 12th of July 2011 11:28:49 AM
We just spent two weeks at North Head Campground at Moruya on the NSW South Coast and the same thing happens there.
They come in just on dusk, set up camp and then leave just on daybreak.
It is only $10 per night or $60 per week and if you have to go to those extremes just to save that amount then......................well, I don't have the answer I'm afraid.
I say bad luck to the property owners. As long a people are not trespassing on their property. Bins overflowing. Council problem.
And I thought that this forum was free from the "I'm all right jack and anyone else can get lost" selfish inconsiderate types that don't care if their own selfishness spoils it for everyone....
