Desperate backpackers looking to sell their cars are ‘clogging up Sydney streets’

The Daily Telegraph carries a story today claiming backpackers are clogging up Sydney streets for up to six weeks in a desperate bid to sell their vans before heading home.  

Desperate backpackers looking to sell their cars are clogging up Sydney streets DailyTelegraph 212x300The report says the worst-affected areas are Victoria Street, Potts Point and beachfront roads around Bondi, Coogee and Manly. It claims backpackers are camping out on busy footpaths and using the gutters as toilets. It blames the trend on falling demand for backpacker vehicles and the movement of the Kings Cross Car Market to smaller premises.

Local residents and business owners are said to be “sick of the mess” and wrote to Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore last week calling for action. The City of Sydney has said it is investigating.

The piece encourages readers to go online and complain about backpackers being a nuisance in their suburb.

BOA New South Wales President Katrina Greeves told Thumbrella: “BOA raised this issue with the parking authorities responsible for Victoria Street some months ago. A meeting with the Kings Cross Chief Ranger revealed that legislation making the sale of cars on Victoria Street a tow-way offence had been revoked. BOA NSW subsequently wrote to City of Sydney forecasting the potential results of inaction and proposing the legislation be re-enacted. We also organised a letterbox drop to local residents urging them to report illegally parked vehicles.”

She added: “Backpackers brings huge benefits to the local economy and we want to make sure that positive impact is not undermined by this activity.”

By Martin Lane  ·  March 4th, 2010 at 11:58 am

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Comments


  1. kirsten
    5 Mar 10
    4:22 pm

    2. Back in 2004, I brought a camper from this crazy French guy on Victoria Street,
    I believe his name to be David. I was happy to see he was still there last November when I paid a visit to Potts Point.
    Although David is clearly was not a backpacker, he clearly cares about backpackers, their transport options and offers lots of transport advice. He even has testimonials on walls along that stretch of Victoria street.
    He’s doing no harm, he’s trying to make a buck, So What’s the problem?

    I find it hard to believe that a backpacker would use the gutter for a toilet, other than maybe a pee after a night out (an Australian would do the same)
    The Australian public are so quick to judge Backpackers and treat them as second rate citizens.
    People should wake up and be enlightened to the fact that backpackers come here, work here and most importantly, spend here.
    And, food for thought… how many residents are there actually on Victoria street?
    I would have thought that between all the cafes, bars, Hostels and other shops there wouldn’t be much room left for residents?
    Must be the minority enjoying the sound of their own voice, again…….

  2. Peter
    5 Mar 10
    10:41 pm

    3. What David is doing is illegal, he’s an unlicensed backyard car dealer – END OF STORY

  3. Peter (not the previous one)
    9 Mar 10
    2:15 pm

    4. It is not the end of the story. He is using public land to create a private and un-taxed income, he is putting him self out as a mechanic and is not licenced. Anyone who deals with him has no recourse if he fails to provide what he has promissed and “What David is doing is illegal, he’s unlicensed backyard car dealer”.

  4. Chuck
    11 Mar 10
    5:43 pm

    5. This year there were two German backpackers living out of one of David’s station wagons on Brougham street. I saw the same guy pee on the wall of the public housing block that they parked next to every morning between 6 and 6:30 am. One would think he would have done that away from where they slept as it really stunk. I saw his mate pee a few times under the Hordern Stairs around that same time, he must have been shyer about it. I also witnessed an Austrain and English girl travelling together in a Juicy van pee everynight for a week between 10 and 10:30 pm in the alley way between the bottom of the Bultler Stairs and the next terrace on its left. They were not shy about it and would even say hello as I walked the dog right by them. The city should turn an old car park into a cheep place for these folks to “live” in their vehicles that had access to toilets, showers and bins; thus getting them off the streets.

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