A growing controversy has sparked between Clarence Valley Council and long-time campers in a tranquil Australian community after the council announced plans to shut down camping at a popular waterfront location.
For decades, families have been enjoying the secluded Brooms Head beach, located 130 kilometers south of Byron Bay, but now they face the loss of access to the cherished camping grounds as the council seeks to accommodate an increasing number of day visitors.
The council has pushed forward with plans to close 34 campsites situated on or near the water’s edge at Brooms Head, citing concerns that the influx of campers in large 4WDs, RVs, and caravans is crowding the foreshore. The council argues that the modern camping experience, with its vehicles and equipment, has disrupted the “simple camping experience” and is ill-suited to the small coastal area. Environmental concerns have also been raised, particularly regarding the impact of wastewater from campers at the site, which is managed by the council and sits on crown land.
In response, the council aims to free up additional open space for visitors, promoting a vision to “return the foreshore to the broader community” and achieve a “greater balance” in the area.
However, the proposed change has been met with fierce resistance from local campers, including Ken Shephard, a member of the Brooms Campers and Caravanners Association. Shephard, who has been camping at Brooms Head with his family for 38 years across four generations, has expressed frustration with the council’s decision-making process. He claims that the council has not consulted with the community and has failed to provide a sufficient explanation for the drastic policy shift.
“We’ve had no input, no consultation… it’s just wrong. We can’t get an honest answer,” Shephard told Yahoo News Australia.
Shephard contends that there is ample space for visitors in Brooms Head, pointing to the community areas, which he says were not overcrowded during the recent Christmas period. He believes that the families who have camped at the site for years contribute significantly to the local economy, bringing in thousands of dollars for the area.
“There is plenty of room for more visitors any day of the week,” Shephard added.
The dispute continues to escalate, with long-time campers remaining firm in their opposition to the council’s plan.
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