Council ordered the camp associated with the hotel closed immediately at 16:00 yesterday. Publican had to ask everyone leave asap. Travellers turned away at 17:30 with nowhere to go but Cooktown or back to Rifle Creek. Interesting to note the Cook Council who control the Lakeland area are planning to close the Cooktown Racecourse RV site next year eventhough ALL CPs are chockers. Maybe we should start an RV Unfriendly Town page
Council ordered the camp associated with the hotel closed immediately at 16:00 yesterday. Publican had to ask everyone leave asap. Travellers turned away at 17:30 with nowhere to go but Cooktown or back to Rifle Creek. Interesting to note the Cook Council who control the Lakeland area are planning to close the Cooktown Racecourse RV site next year eventhough ALL CPs are chockers. Maybe we should start an RV Unfriendly Town page
Oh diddems. so you cannot freeload there, have you bothered to find out the reason the council closed it immediately, I would suggest the hotel would have had communications from council before yesterday.
Have you bothered to source the reason the Racecourse RV is closing next year, I have found a story that the RV park will be no longer free but a $10 pn fee with 48hrs max.
What an old nasty piece of work you are. We spent well over $200 in the hotel to support the battling business. I hope you and I cross paths some day you cranky grumpy old fart. Get nicked x2.
Spoke with council ranger at Cooktown (same shire as Lakeland), he advised they were also closing Cooktown Rv stop later this year. Said it was too much to look after and police but did say the CP owners wanted it shut. The CPs are chockers with absolutely no vacancies. He advised ppl to call CPs before arrival and if they were full DONT COME TO COOKTOWN. When asked about local business he replied they will survive. I asked about Lakeland to which he didnt know what was going on up there but was asked to check that there were no camping signs in place.
Spoke with council ranger at Cooktown (same shire as Lakeland), he advised they were also closing Cooktown Rv stop later this year. Said it was too much to look after and police but did say the CP owners wanted it shut. The CPs are chockers with absolutely no vacancies. He advised ppl to call CPs before arrival and if they were full DONT COME TO COOKTOWN. When asked about local business he replied they will survive. I asked about Lakeland to which he didnt know what was going on up there but was asked to check that there were no camping signs in place.
Although I can see no evidence I cant help but wonder whether perhaps a member of the council has a financial interest in the local caravan park? Nah, surely not!
However, I have seen similar happen in a small country town in WA, which, for obvious reasons I cannot name on a public forum.
They banned all free camping, and tried to force all travellers into a privately owned caravan park so I simply drove 10km out of town and into the bush where I camped beside a river.
It is not the monetary cost that concerned me, but the fact that the owner of the van park was a long-term member of the local council and was using his position to his financial advantage.
On principle, I left that town next morning. My original plans were to spend a few days in the area but I left without buying ANYTHING there. Cheers
-- Edited by yobarr on Sunday 16th of July 2023 03:50:19 PM
