Noosa Council’s third illegal camping patrol in just over a week has seen another 26 fines issued.
Local Laws Manager Rob Smith said the patrols were clearly working.
“We’re seeing a noticeable reduction in illegal camping activity throughout the shire as we continue these patrols,” he said.
“Having Queensland Police Service support has also helped us quickly confirm information provided to us by campers, which saves us time and makes our patrols more efficient.”
The latest patrol covered Noosa Woods, Noosa Spit, the National Park carpark at Noosa Heads, plus hotspots at Noosa Junction, Noosaville and Sunrise Beach.
In addition to the campers fined, several were schooled on the restrictions around camping in vehicles on public roads and carparks as part of ongoing education efforts by Council.
Development and Regulation Director Richard MacGillivray said locals sleeping in vehicles due to housing issues were not the target of enforcement efforts.
“These patrols are focused on curbing the use of our carparks and other public areas by travellers camping in vans,” he said.
“We’re responding to concerns from our community about the mess left behind by illegal campers and the impact they have on our high-demand parking areas.
“Staff are trained to know the difference between travellers camping in vehicles as part of a cheap seaside holiday and local residents who are suffering hardship,” he said.
“In the case of local people caught up in the housing crisis our staff are trained to assist them with referrals to services and organisations who may be able to help them.”
Mr McGillivray said Noosa had a range of campgrounds and caravan parks travellers could make use of.
“As resources and time allow these patrols will continue to ensure we’re tackling illegal camping, which is a significant source of complaints to Council.”
