Coffs Harbour to review free camping

[alnjan]

http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/should-we-allow-this-seasonal-rv-city/2037423/

IT'S the ultimate beachfront camping, minutes from town, that's entirely free.

To some, this seasonal 'RV city' depicts all that is good about the Australian coastline being enjoyed hassle-free by those on tight travelling budgets.

Yet ask others and they'll say it's an unfair rort of our hospitality.

So what price can be put on an overnight stay on the Jetty Foreshores?

Well, according to Coffs Harbour City Council, staff will next week meet with councillors to clarify the situation.

Earlier this year councillors passed a resolution to allow limited camping at the Jetty, but that has been found to be inconsistent with the Jetty Foreshores Plan of Management, so therefore needs clarification.

Further north in Byron Bay, travelling backpackers right through to grey nomads in motorhomes are booked by rangers and hounded out of town by horn-blowing locals for a sneaky overnight stay.

Here on the Coffs Coast however, the stance has always been more relaxed.

With the school holidays in full swing, holidaymakers have again flocked to the coast.

A council spokeswoman said Park Beach Holiday Park room nights are up by 10% for the month of September, with a 5% increase during the NSW school holidays.

So what do you think about travellers taking in a free night by the water's edge?

Let us know with a comment below.

[tourin n fishin]

In my opinion if someone is travelling and spends say 2 nights at a free stop but 3,4,or more at paid locations then the effect shouldn't be too bad. If that person did not travel as much due to accommodation costs then a lot of other businesses may miss out on their dollar. If that person did not stop at a location due to no free camping being available then all other local businesses who may have gotten some return will not get anything either.

Maybe they should have a system where a capped number of tickets are available at the council chambers/ tourist info centre for one or two nights stay per ticket and one ticket per vehicle. can be displayed in window like any other parking ticket and still enforced by rangers. Only one ticket per vehicle per year should ensure plenty to go round. What do you reckon?

[Astro]

In areas where paid accommodation is available (just about every town in Oz) I don't think the councils should be under-mining the service provided by the caravan park and camp ground owners/operators.

It happens down our way as well, and it's not cool

[alnjan]

Overnighters should be allowed to camp free.  More the two nights an acceptable fee

[GeeTee]

Where do these people poo?
Where do they wash?
Where do they get rid of the food scraps and rubbish they create?
Where does the dirty washing water go?

If the camping is to be limited by this council (as mentioned in the article) - how? And who pays for that admin?

There is always the view put forward that 'free campers' are contributing to the local economy... maybe that should start with paying for a camp site...?

[gibbo301]

Where do these people poo?
Where do they wash?
Where do they get rid of the food scraps and rubbish they create?
Where does the dirty washing water go?
If the camping is to be limited by this council (as mentioned in the article) - how? And who pays for that admin?

There is always the view put forward that 'free campers' are contributing to the local economy... maybe that should start with paying for a camp site...?

You never been camping in the bush GeeTee ?

[Bird]

Yet ask others and they'll say it's an unfair rort of our hospitality.
A council spokeswoman said Park Beach Holiday Park room nights are up by 10% for the month of September, with a 5% increase during the NSW school holidays.

I feel both those lines have something interwoven...

Council spokeswoman's hubby owns Park Beach Holiday Park you think?

[GeeTee]

You never been camping in the bush GeeTee ?

The context and environment of this situation doesn't relate to bush camping.

[chester ver2.0]

The context and environment of this situation doesn't relate to bush camping.

I agree with GT earlier comment the foreshore area in coffs where they so call overnight is disgusting of litter and backpackers peeing in the gutter

[gibbo301]

Maybe the council should look at putting a toilet block and garbage bins  like most of the free camps up here

[Astro]

Maybe the council should look at putting a toilet block and garbage bins

and paved roads and electricity points and boom gates and ......

oh hang on, that's the caravan park just around the corner.

Free camp outside of towns as much as we like, but in towns should be banned. That's what caravan parks and camp grounds are for.

[Hairs]

G'day Al,
Clarence valley Council have just spent heaps erecting No Camping Signs in town here in Lawrence.
We would get the few who would stay a couple of nights next to the river. Never left a mess, public toilets were available at the hall and they spent a few dollars at either the pub or the shop.
Mainly the Grey Nomads, they never caused a problem and everyone I spoke to don't have a problem with them staying there, but someone took offense to this complained and up went the signs.
On the subject of Byron, 30 odd years ago the ranger use to fine us for sleeping in our cars no matter where it was(main Beach, tallow's, The Pass, Suffork, Broken head) and we were bloody locals.

[alnjan]

Coffs Council, like most councils are after a way to make a dollar.   The campers are easy targets, especially when the crown jewel of Coffs Harbour is the Harbour, where the campers like to camp.  Further to the trouble with Coffs Harbour is, while it touts itself as a tourist town it does nothing to accommodate the tourist, and like most councils will not spend anything for the tourists.

[woolgoolgaoffroad]

Hi Al,
just came back from 5 days through central west and free camping out there is abundant and is great. I suppose the thing here is that this is basically in a tourist zone and what council call its jewel in coffs crown !!

This is just down the road from my place and it frustrates me that it is a huge parcel of land doing crap all. If council don't want free camping there- they should pull their finger out and do something about this massive piece of million dollar real estate. I have been here for 30 years this year and after the sawmill, rail siding, and coffs freight depot left it has been left as an unmaintained, dusty dirty piece of land.

The same goes for the free land on the southern side of the harbour- what a waste. Like i said if council don't want free campers here, do something about the land and give the free campers somewhere to go. Look west of the highway- hundreds of thousands of hectares of state forest and national Parks forest

[GeeTee]

Sawtell beach park is a great place to camp



Free camping discussion or not, this harbour area is sadly under-done and I'd be happy to pay to stay there   

[woolgoolgaoffroad]

http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/mayor-driven-to-keep-overnight-campers-away-from-f/2059252/#.UmdWOaTD_hg.facebook

[Bird]

Sawtell beach park is a great place to camp



Free camping discussion or not, this harbour area is sadly under-done and I'd be happy to pay to stay there   

Used to go to Sawtell as a kid.. .Gee, havent thought of that place in a LONnnnngg time...

[Whitty]

Sawtell beach park is a great place to camp



Free camping discussion or not, this harbour area is sadly under-done and I'd be happy to pay to stay there   

Is that your fat chick GeeTee??? Looks good, what do you do with it, hill climb?