Call for council to clampdown on freebie campers

FREE camping sites at Kairi, outside the pub, and Tolga at Rocky Creek are also popular on the Tablelands but local operators concede those areas are needed in the peak season to take an overflow of travellers seeking accommodation.

Rocky Creek has a 72-hour rest area for self-contained caravans and motorhomes for a $5 per night donation to the Rocky Creek War Memorial Park committee.

Camping in tents or trailers is not allowed.

But BIG4 Atherton Woodlands Tourist Park owner Quentin Fletcher wants authorities to better regulate the free camp.

“It’s a massive problem,” he said. “I counted 106 caravans in Rocky Creek last week.

“The cost of camping in that location is being paid for by ratepayers.

“To be honest, in peak sea- son, there isn’t enough camp sites in the legitimate parks to take all the visitors but there should be a system where they have to inquire about camping spots and, if there are none, they are given a voucher to camp in the free area.

“And it should be seasonal, only from June to September.

“I pay $60,000 in rates, water bills and other fees each year. The council should have commonsense and, out of season, these camping areas should be shut down.”

Mr Fletcher said some people stayed so long passers-by noticed grass growing up around their vehicle’s wheels.

“If you’re 100km from the nearest town, I can understand having these areas, but my rates should not be supporting people’s free holidays,” he said.

Mr Fletcher was also frustrated he had to comply with a minimum number of toilet facilities and the free camping areas were not.