Mornington Peninsula camping: Council ‘jumped the gun’ on lockdown
Angry campers want to know why they were evicted from foreshore sites while other campgrounds remain open.
South East
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Campers forced to abandon vans and tents along the Mornington Peninsula foreshore are questioning the decision to make them return home for lockdown.
“Why did we have to go home? I don’t think any other campsites around Victoria have had to close,” Kaye Warren said.
“I know people camping in Inverloch and Port Fairy and they were allowed to stay on.
“I really think the council jumped the gun on this one.”
According to the Parks Victoria website people already at campsites before midnight on Friday were allowed to remain.
“You must not travel further than the five kilometre radius from your site during your stay,” the website states
“If your camping/accommodation booking ends during the five-day period, you must leave your site and travel straight home at the end of your booking period.
“You cannot travel to your campsite/accommodation after 11.59pm on Friday 12 February.”
However, Ms Warren and husband Rob were forced to return home to Leongatha after Mornington Peninsula Shire closed its campgrounds at Rosebud, Rye and Sorrento on Friday night.
The couple were told they could not stay, despite having a self-contained caravan with shower and toilet.
They are now anxiously waiting for lockdown to end so they can return for their van, tent and other belongings.
Ms Warren said the council had not communicated with them since telling them to go on Friday.
“We have heard nothing about how our things are being protected and have no idea if the days we are missing will be refunded,” Ms Warren said.
Mornington Peninsula Shire would not comments on campground security.
The council’s interim director of place Jessica Wingad thanked campers for their understanding and swift response to the new lockdown.
“We understand being given just a few hours’ notice of the new restrictions was unsettling for many of our foreshore campers,” Ms Wingad said.
“For a variety of reasons, a small number of campers were unable to vacate and we have worked individually with them over the weekend to ensure they – and the whole community – can remain COVID safe.”
Campers were told via an SMS from the council at 3.54pm Friday that the campground was closing at 11.59pm that evening.
Some grey nomads with self-contained vans and nowhere else to go were allowed to stay.
Denise Saunders was relieved the grey nomads next to her Rosebud site would be around to “keep an eye on things”.
“You can’t really put a lock on a tent,” she said.
The Wheelers Hill woman was planning to be back in her car and ready to return when the lockdown was expected to end at 11.59pm on Wednesday.
“When I first heard about the lockdown today I was in seventh heaven thinking I’d be spending it on the Peninsula,” she said.
“Now I’m devastated. I have to rush home and will lose at least five days of my month long holiday.”
The council previously came under fire for deciding not to open the campgrounds until January 2.
Other Peninsula sites managed by foreshore committees opened earlier.
In a written statement the shire said that Friday’s decision to close its campgrounds was made in line with the State Government’s circuit breaker restrictions announced at 1pm on the same day.
The statement advised campers unable to leave to phone the shire’s foreshore office on 59501011.
The Rosebud foreshore office was closed when the Leader visited at 4.45pm on Friday.
An update on when campers could return was expected to be provided by the council on Wednesday.
