South Burnett Council rejects plan to reduce water access at free 48-hour Murgon campground

The council has voted down a move to restrict access to taps at a free campground. Here’s why.

Councillor Heath Sander raised a motion to limit water access to the communal toilet and shower block at the Murgon campground by disconnecting individual taps located around the site.

A proposal to remove access to individual taps at a free South Burnett campground to discourage long term residents and reduce spending has been rejected by the council in support of people experiencing homelessness.

The South Burnett Regional Council discussed disconnecting 21 taps located throughout the free 48 hour Murgon campground on Krebs Street at the May council meeting after a local resident shared her frustration with alleged anti-social behaviour stemming from permanent park users.

She told the council meeting on Wednesday, May 21, it could be a nightmare living close to the camp and asked them to enforce more strict rules on people using the facility.

Councillor Heath Sander raised a motion to limit water access to the communal toilet and shower block by disconnecting the individual taps.

The motion was tabled to confirm financial figures and picked back up at the June 18 council meeting, where it was voted down by the council.

At the June meeting, Cr Sander said the council was elected on a “back-to-basics” mandate and told their constituents they would save money wherever they could.

“The water usage has increased over that time due to permanent people staying there and I believe if we disconnected the water then that might urge the permanent people who are staying there to either follow rules or move on to another location,” he said.

He said this could also increase overnight or short stay visitors to the area as he believed “a lot of people” who were passing through didn’t want to stay in the camp because of the long-term residents.

The free Murgon 48hr campground is located in the centre of town. Photo credit: Google Maps

Cr Jane Erkens said she was disappointed in the motion because it was one of a limited number of options for people experiencing homelessness in the region.

She told the council the additional water connection servicing the individual taps costs $9 per day, which is around $3285 per year.

“For us to think that $9 a day is too expensive to help people who are homeless is pretty upsetting to me,” she said.

Cr Ros Heit said she would not be supporting the motion either, and felt it was a little “vindictive” to take away the water when the cost to council and ratepayers was “very little”.

She also said it was unlikely water usage would decrease if they turned the individual taps off as people would simply use the communal tap at the toilet block more.

An exclusive South Burnett Times reader poll showed almost 60 per cent of respondents felt reducing water access would manage resources better.

Commentators on social media were split, with some agreeing a communal water access point was sufficient and others saying access should not be restricted.

“Do not change. Water should be available, not just at the toilet. No need to add stress of less water access and (the possibility) of putting someone at risk while filling up water container away from site,” Jae wrote.

“ … People are camping permanently. If they kept their site tidy and weren’t a nuisance to locals, then fine,” Leonie shared.

“But the way it is atm is keeping travellers away (which is what it is for) and making some locals feel unsafe in their own homes.”

Many agreed people staying in the campground should be subjected to more strict rules and move on orders by police or council, if necessary.

The motion was lost with six votes against one, with Cr Sander the only member voting in support of the motion.