Wollongong City Council has teamed up with the police to crack down on would-be illegal campers planning to pitch tents in North Wollongong’s Stuart Park this Australia Day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Rangers and police will be out in force next weekend, informing people about the ban on camping in the area.
New signage is also set to go up in the park this week, depicting the difference between a shade structure and a tent and specifying hours when shade structures are allowed.
The move comes after long-term problems with illegal camping in Stuart Park on public holidays.
On New Year’s Day, the park was turned into a tent city, overrun with structures erected the night before by revellers keen to enjoy the fireworks. Rangers were out in force trying to move groups on, but that was the extent of the action.
However, Australia Day is set to be a different story, according to the council’s general manager, David Farmer.
‘‘Our primary aim is to prevent camping overnight,’’ he said.
‘‘We’d rather people chose to do the right thing – if they don’t, we’ll be working with the police to ensure they do.
‘‘We simply don’t have the toilets [or the] waste removal in place to safely manage [illegal camping].
‘‘If you’re thinking of staying in town for the weekend, make other arrangements for accommodation.’’
The council has also struggled to deal with people declaring tents as sun-shade structures during the day, only to then sleep in them later in the evening.
Mr Farmer said the new signs would clearly define what was acceptable as a shade structure – and what wasn’t.
A temporary paid car park will also be established on a section of Stuart Park for the Australia Day celebrations.
The car park will be open from 8am to 10pm and provide more than 150 extra parking spots.