Tourists in West Australian seaside community Albany have been hit with $200 fines for camping in one of the city’s most expensive and affluent neighbourhoods.
Middleton Beach has a median house price of $1.4 million and is home to the Albany Surf Club, which recently underwent a $3.5 million renovation, including upgrades to the adjoining public shower and toilet block.
However, residents who frequent the facilities say backpackers and campervans have made them inaccessible, prompting the City of Albany to launch a fines blitz against a “rising tide” of illegal camping.
Residents who love the beach and club facilities are cranky at illegal campers. (ABC Great Southern: Andrew Chounding)
‘Food scraps in the shower’
Pat McSweeney is a member of the Southern Salties, who swim at Middleton Beach each morning.
“At any one time you can have 15 of 20 camper vans and people sleeping in cars,”
he said.
“The campers go in there, shut the doors and are in there for 15 minutes in the morning having a shower and everything.”
Pat McSweeney. (ABC Great Southern: Andrew Chounding )
Mr McSweeney said he didn’t oppose people camping, as long as their use of public facilities met community expectations.
“They are hogging the showers for 15 or 20 minutes while other people just want to have a quick rinse and get out of there,” he said.
“We can’t use them because people are washing plates and pots in the showers and disabled toilets and we end up with food scraps.”
‘No warning’ of impending fines
The council confirmed it handed out six camping infringements at Middleton Beach in 24 hours.
A French backpacker, who asked not to be named, said campers were asleep at the time and received no warning.
“I’ve just received a fine for camping in the parking lot, it’s $200,”
the tourist said.
Campers, one said, were sleeping when council rangers swooped. (ABC Great Southern: Andrew Chounding)
“I just got a job last week so I can pay it, but it wasn’t meant for that.
“I thought I was going to get a little warning first … It’s an expensive lifestyle in the end.”
Other campers said a lack of free or affordable alternatives were partially to blame for people using the surf club showers.
Alessandro Levey has been living in Albany for the past two months working as a traffic controller.
He said the cumulative cost of a paid campsite had become prohibitive to backpackers working their way around Australia, forcing more campers to use the surf club.
“Middleton Beach is good because there is a toilet and shower here, they close at night, but still it’s a good place to take a shower after work,” he said.
“I don’t know where I will go. I have no choice. I am working here so if I cannot stay here I don’t know where I’m going.
“Maybe I can find a place, but it costs money and right now I don’t have money.”
Greg Stocks said apps like WikiCamps were directing campers to illegal sites. (ABC Great Southern: Andrew Chounding)
‘Fighting against WikiCamps’
Albany Mayor Greg Stocks said the fines were a last resort for the city.
He said policing the issue had been compounded by the use of apps like WikiCamps, which direct people to unregistered campsites.
“You are fighting against a rising tide with WikiCamps,” he said..
“We moved 15 or 20 people on the waterfront in early summer — the next day they were back at Middleton Beach.”
Campers and swimmers said a purpose-built facility close to town would help alleviate pressure at the beach.
Shoam Seaon said rangers recently told her not to park at Middleton Beach after two months of camping. (ABC Great Southern: Andrew Chounding)
Shoam Seaon, 25, an Israeli tourist working at a local pub, said she would stay at a free campground closer to town if it had the same amenities.
“A caravan park is too much. I’m travelling for more than one year in Australia so I can’t pay 70 bucks each night.”
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