The Entrance: New plan to deter illegal camping at Picnic Point includes sprinklers, spotlights and continuous music
Turn the sprinklers on them! Council is being urged to adopt extreme measures to remove illegal campers from Picnic Point including spotlights and blaring continuous music. What do you think?
Central Coast Council is being urged to consider controversial measures to deter illegal camping at Picnic Point, The Entrance, including security spotlights, sprinkler systems and continuous music.
Councillor Doug Eaton has filed a notice of motion for the next council meeting requesting it look into and report back on the feasibility of extreme measures to discourage illegal campers, including security patrols with spotlights every two hours during the night, the installation of floodlights, playing music continuously, closing the public toilet block, and installing sprinklers.
In an initial response, included with the notice of motion, council’s CEO David Farmer acknowledged Picnic Point had experienced ongoing issues with illegal camping, resulting in the misuse and damage of amenities, safety concerns, and impacts on local residents and visitors.
However, he cautioned there were potential concerns with the proposed measures as well as having to balance people illegally camping with those who were genuinely homeless and needed additional support.
Mr Farmer said continuous music could deter campers but could also negatively impact nearby residents, while sprinkler systems would require significant capital and operational funding, and could be easily turned off or damaged by people seeking to avoid them.
He said council had already implemented several interventions, including more signage regarding illegal camping and associated fines, locking public amenities overnight, disabling power sources being illegally accessed, and regular liaison with the assertive outreach team to support vulnerable individuals.
He said council had also provided skip bins to facilitate clean-up of the area, had Picnic Point removed from websites listing it as free camping, and council officers had attended and “identified illegal campers versus homeless individuals, and requested illegal campers to move on, with some success”.
Mr Farmer said a “Homeless Community of Practice” had been established, involving key internal officers and collaboration with local police and homelessness agencies to develop co-ordinated strategies.
Mr Eaton’s motion also requests council not fine legitimate boaties for parking their cars and trailers unlawfully near Picnic Point while illegal campers occupied the allocated trailer car park.
It’s not the first time a council has turned to left-field ideas to curb anti-social behaviour.
In June 2006, then Rockdale Council mayor Bill Saravinovski played Barry Manilow and Doris Day through speakers at Cook Park Reserve to drive away car hoons from Brighton-Le-Sands.
Then, in January 2007 the council introduced pink lights in trouble spots to discourage hoons loitering in car parks. Neither worked.
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Originally published as The Entrance: New plan to deter illegal camping at Picnic Point includes sprinklers, spotlights and continuous music
