Illegal camping fines divide Queensland community

A crackdown on illegal camping in the popular Queensland coastal town of Noosa has divided the community, with many arguing that increased $345 on-the-spot fines are not an effective solution. The state government recently raised the infringement penalty, and Noosa Council is enforcing it, even planning to use mobile license-plate recognition technology.

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If people have nowhere else to go, enforcement simply shifts the problem rather than addressing it.

Luke Williams, who lived in his car in Noosa for four months, recounted daily threats of fines from council officers without any offered support. Noosa MP Sandy Bolton echoed concerns that enforcement alone shifts the problem without addressing why people are camping illegally. "If people have nowhere else to go, enforcement simply shifts the problem rather than addressing it," she stated.

Noosa Council has received hundreds of complaints this year regarding illegal campers, citing issues like used sanitary items, the smell of urine and feces, and a lack of parking for locals. Last month alone, the council and police issued nearly $12,000 in fines. Clint Irwin, the council's acting manager for local laws, acknowledged the complexity, noting tourists seeking a "beach and surf lifestyle at a very small cost."

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It is distressing for locals to see because obviously there is waste and rubbish … the community gets rightly upset … Noosa is very in touch with the environment.

However, Richard MacGillivray, the director of development and regulation, clarified that enforcement targets those knowingly disregarding laws, not individuals experiencing genuine homelessness. "When our officers encounter people experiencing genuine homelessness who are living in their vehicles because they have no other option, our priority is not enforcement," he said. This approach aims to balance punitive measures with compassion, though some travelers, like Ukrainian student Serge Belonosehko, report widespread fines among backpackers struggling with accommodation costs.

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When our officers encounter people experiencing genuine homelessness who are living in their vehicles because they have no other option, our priority is not enforcement.