Issues with free camping in Jindabyne
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Council is aware of the issues in relation to free camping in Jindabyne at the Clay Pits, an incident of an overnight camper in the Kalkite Street carpark and an increase in community concern about these matters.
Claypits: Council rangers have increased their regular patrols and police are patrolling at least daily. Our cleaners are at this site three times per day to clean and we have installed an additional bin. The longterm campers are taking rubbish to the landfill and in the past week, since the meeting, we have seen a significant improvement in overall cleanliness. Gatherings in breach of the PHO have not been observed – the Police attend this site multiple times each night to check.
Short-term measure: we are assessing what is possible under the Local Government Act to prohibit all forms of camping in the Kalkite St, Town Centre and Banjo Patterson playground carparks. This approach has been undertaken in other locations in NSW. Once the legalities of this are confirmed, we will proceed with signage to achieve this outcome quickly.
Longer term solutions: we must ensure changes doesn’t result in unintended consequences such as pushing campers into other locations (eg. streets of Jindabyne). We have met with the claypits campers and will use their commentary around affordable local accommodation to inform future plans. Once the feasibility study for the Clay Pits is completed, the camping prohibited signage may also be a solution for the Clay Pits, while also applying to other areas such as streets and Council reserves. Like some coastal locations where this approach is implemented, this would send a clear message that camping is to occur in designated camping locations only.