Backpackers fined for camping in Darwin parks

Backpackers are being fined for camping in Darwin parks to avoid paying accommodation fees, Darwin City Council has said.  

A council spokesman told Thumbrella backpackers have been pitching tents and using parks as campgrounds while sleeping in their campervans and leaving the area polluted.

“There’s not just the issue of rubbish, it’s ablutions as well. It’s a tropical area so you don’t want people defacating in it,” the spokesman said.

While some backpackers have been fined, others are moved on without hassle, but the spokesman said they are shortly replaced by another group of campers.

“We’re looking into assigning a designated spot that is free for backpackers to camp, but then you’ve got people with commercial areas like caravan parks who won’t approve, it’s a difficult issue,” he added.

But Backpacker Tourism Advisory Panel (BTAP) Chairman and MD of campervan rental company Travellers Auto Barn Peter Burke said the problem lies with the accommodation shortage in Darwin.

“There’s not enough accommodation in Darwin at certain times of the year, which happens to be the times when people want to go to there,” he said.

Burke added: “They use the vans to drive to Darwin and they deserve a medal for doing it, they should be encouraged to make the drive. Planes, trains and buses also book out. Campervans are the icing on the cake for Darwin, because once everything else books out, these guys can still get in and get to sleep.”

Tourism Northern Territory Senior Policy Officer in Insights and Strategy Karen Fitzgerald said the decision to camp in parks would be forced by a combination of saving money and a lack of beds.

“If it was July/August I’d say definitely a lack of beds would be the case. But in October when it’s 38/39 degree heat and 95 per cent humidity, I’d want to be in a room,” she said.

120,000 backpackers visited the Northern Territory for the year ending June 30 2009 and spent 1.47 million nights according to Tourism Research Australia’s International Visitor Survey June 2009.

By Alice Terlikowski  ·  October 20th, 2009 at 12:53 pm

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Comments


  1. Kite
    21 Oct 09
    12:41 pm

    2. I definitely think there should be areas where people can camp or park their cars for the night without a fine. Why not? And why should caravan parks have any say over the matter?

    As for Karen Fitzgerald, you may want to be in a room, but others may not.

  2. Sheena Matthews
    26 Oct 09
    6:37 pm

    3. Like many destinations in Australia when events occur accommodation fills up. Apart from the V8’s in June 2009 there have been beds available in Darwin throughout the peak season. In the past, there has been a shortage of long term accommodation for backpackers traveling and working within our region. This year has seen more shared accommodation and apartments/houses available to cater for the increasing work available in Darwin.

    One of the main issues with people sleeping in these areas, is the impact that they have both on the environment and the local residents.

    For tourists and locals alike, seeing people brushing their teeth and spitting it out on the ground and taking shampoo and soap and completing their abolitions in the nearby Lake Alexandria, leaves a lot to be desired.

    These areas are not designated for camping and the they do not have the facilities to cater for short term or long term camping.

    Sheena Matthews
    General Manager
    Melaleuca on Mitchell
    Darwin

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