The freedom to roam in a caravan or campervan is a cherished Australian pastime, especially among the over 50s who often take to the open road to explore the vast beauty of the country. However, a recent incident has highlighted a growing issue that could put a damper on the nomadic lifestyle many Australians hold dear.
Belinda Hunt, a Gold Coast homeowner, was hit with an $806 fine for what she thought was a perfectly legal act.
She was sleeping in her van parked in her driveway. The fine was issued amid a crackdown on illegal camping, but Belinda’s situation was far from the typical case of a traveller overstaying their welcome in a public space.
The incident occurred when a police officer and council ranger approached Belinda’s van at 1.30 am, reportedly mistaking her for a homeless individual and suggesting she seek assistance from the Department of Housing.
Despite her protests and evidence that she was on her own property, authorities reportedly fined her for ‘unlawful camping in a public place.’
‘They spoke to me as if I was a criminal and doing something wrong. He [the police officer] said that it is illegal to reside in a vehicle on the Gold Coast,’ she told Yahoo News Australia.
@belindaleerose $806 Fine if you sleep in your vehicle in Queensland. what is going on with councils. Money hungry organisation. #vanlife #van #building #home #councils #VanLifeStruggles #propertyrights #parking #parkingticket #control #controller #government #goldcoast ♬ original sound – Belindalee
‘My house is currently in the process of being built. There [are] only a few things left to do and yet I’m not allowed to stay in my van,’ she said in her online post.
‘Can you believe that? Let’s not pay attention to the fact that I pay over $3,000 in council rates for my property that I purchased, and not to mention the fact that I pay registration cost and road cost for my vehicle to be on the road.’
Her post, which has since received over 864,000 views after two days of posting, received mixed reactions from people online.
‘Report the council worker for trespassing on private property,’ suggested one person, which another echoed, saying, ‘Don’t pay it. Go to court and fight it.’
‘Councils have no legislation or any authority for what you do on your property. You need to fight this and tell them that you will comply if they can show you they actually have the authority to do that. Trust me they don’t,’ opined someone else.
‘What happens if you [are] tired after driving a long time? What about stop, revive, survive?’ remarked a different commenter.
‘Dispute with [the] court as it is your address. Private property is not a public place,’ suggested another.
Meanwhile, a different commenter wrote, ‘I am sorry but your claim is not 100% correct, they didn’t fine [you] for sleeping in your car, they fined you for camping on your property and it’s an offence because it distorts the look of the property and have [a] negative impact on the neighbours, and may impact on the prices of neighbouring real estates, so get your story straight, please.’
Belinda’s story is not an isolated one. In South Australia, a traveller was fined $312 for sleeping in her van at a boating ramp after finding local caravan parks full. In Perth, footage emerged of council rangers waking up backpackers in a car park, signalling a broader tension between mobile dwellers and local authorities.
However, councils argue that the rise in illegal camping can lead to antisocial behaviour and restrict public access to communal areas. Measures such as four-hour parking restrictions and the removal of hot water from beach showers are some of the tactics being employed to deter campers.
The council reporting app Snap Send Solve has recorded a spike in illegal camping reports, with CEO Danny Gorog describing it as a ‘widespread issue.’ The statistics are telling, with Victoria leading the charge in October 2024 with 2,936 reports, followed by New South Wales with 2,048, and Queensland with 1,610.
Belinda plans to contest her fine, and her story serves as a reminder to all homeowners and travellers to stay informed about their rights and the legalities of camping or parking on both public and private land.
We invite our readers to share their experiences with caravanning and camping regulations. What are your thoughts on this fine? Have you ever encountered issues with local councils? Do you have any tips for avoiding fines and staying on the right side of the law? Share your thoughts with the YourLifeChoices community in the comments below.
Also read: Safety concerns for caravan owners: A close look at roadworthy issues on Aussie highways
Just another example that council need to be disbanded, useless bunch of overpaid retards
Councils usually only act on complaints, so someone probably lodged a complaint.
That is what stuck up themselves Aussies whose poo does not smell do to their neighbours in some locations, especially middle class snob areas of cities.
Glad I live in a regional town where neighbours rarely complain about anything and councils don’t go looking for breaches of the bylaws.
My first question on reading this was:
Where on the property was she parked?
Was she fully inside the boundary of the property i.e. ‘her side’ of the front fence? If so, then the fine should be contested, but if she was parked across the footpath, or on the street side of the boundary she may well have been illegally parked, and the fine should ‘stand’.
The offence states “camping in a public place”. If she was completely within her property, it is not a public place & she should not pay the fine. Defend her right in court if necessary & claim costs against the council.
Rip into the council if you were completely on you own property. Otherwise, you are in the wrong.
This can be very “curly”. Many local authorities do have a maximum number of successive nights that you may “camp” on your property. What they are trying to control is people renting out caravans and motorhomes for income in suburbia. (I understand that in some cases the original intent was to ensure that the local caravan parks were patronised. Especially if the caravan park was owned by that Council.)
The way this case has been presented it makes it sound as if when you’ve bought a new camper or caravan and want to try it out with a few sleeps before you’re out behind Innaminka and discover that it isn’t really comfortable for frequent sleeping, the local Council will come a rocking at 1.30am on suspicion that all is not as it seems.
As the woman in question says she has been sleeping in it while her house is being built, this would suggest that it has been more than just a week or two, or even just a couple of nights.
In cases such as this, Councils become concerned about disposals of grey and black waste waters and need to be sure that they are being managed appropriately. If the house is not completed, it is possible that neither system has been approved for connection to the Council system. Probably would’ve been acceptable if she had taken her van away for a couple of nights every month and used a registered caravan park.
Sometimes the original intent of the Laws get lost and abused by the inner bush lawyer.