The Spit: Fury over illegal dance parties and camping on public land, causing damage
More than 150 revellers cut loose at an illegal ‘doof’ party on The Spit over the weekend. Now, calls are growing for a crackdown on illegal parties and camping. FIND OUT MORE
Council
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Calls are growing for a crackdown on illegal parties and camping on The Spit after more than 150 revellers let loose over the weekend.
Frustrations with the impact of repeated illegal “bush doofs” on Federation Walk have boiled over after another beachside rave on Saturday night, with community leaders demanding police and the council step in.
The microscope is on the peninsular after the Bulletin revealed on Saturday there was growing fury from nearby residents over the number of illegal campers on The Spit.
Acting Mayor Donna Gates said she backed a crackdown on illegal camping and is vowing to work with police to look at what can be done to deal with dance parties.
Main Beach Progress Association and Friends of Federation Walk president Lyn Wright said the ongoing gatherings – which drew more than 150 people on Saturday – pose a serious risk to both the environment and community safety.
“I’m very frustrated, considering that both the police and council have been aware of these illegal acts, and nothing has been done,” Ms Wright said.
“The police see that there doesn’t appear to be any criminal activity, although these guys (attendees) are off their head, and they all take their own alcohol.
“As far as I’m concerned, we’ve had enough … and something must be done.”
The so-called “doof” parties have been a growing issue in the past year, with events often attracting hundreds of revellers who have repeatedly left infrastructure including irrigation pipes damaged.
A bushfire on The Spit on New Year’s Day, which destroyed more than 2ha of land, was blamed on the raves.
Ms Wright said the lack of safety measures at these events is a major concern.
“It really needs a good push by the police and by council to try and eradicate them, because it’s becoming too dangerous,” she said.
“Something must be done for the community’s safety – the safety of these people who turn up to the parties who have no toilets, there is no first aid, and there is no room for escape if there is a fire.”
Saturday’s illegal dance party was the second on consecutive weekends.
Council is able to give fines of just $806 per person for unauthorised commercial activity in parklands.
However Ms Wright said it was too light and called for harsher penalties are needed to curb the illegal gatherings.
“There has to be a very severe fine to ensure people don’t come back,” she said.
“It has to be far more severe than just a little bit of a rap over the knuckles with a wet lettuce.”
Ms Gates said council would work closely with the police to try and address the parties.
“Council hasn’t got jurisdiction over behaviour issues but clearly police resources are stretched right now so we would hope these can be shut down,” he said.
The Bulletin revealed on Saturday that Gold Coasters who have visited The Spit, which includes one of the most popular dog beaches in the city, or spent a day at Sea World, were confronted by “numerous people” with permanent camp sites in carparks and in the bushes along SeaWorld Drive.
Ms Gates said the illegal camping issue would come to a head at an upcoming council meeting when a report into homelessness was presented.
“It’s not acceptable that people think they can just put up a tent and we need to clamp down on this because we have many tourist parts which have plenty of availability in them,” she said.
“There is a report on homelessness which is coming to council in the next round of the meetings so we will be discussing this more than.
“The difficulty comes around the rules of dealing with homelessness, because council does not have immediate move-on powers.”
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