Something rotten in …
COMMENT: IN a repeat of the Japingka parking debacle, the City of Fremantle refuses to move on freeloaders camped unlawfully, sometimes for weeks, on Marine Terrace, South Mole, Mews Road, Wilson Park and South Beach.
Members of Fremantle Residents’ Against Illegal Camping reached out to StreetWise last week when it accused the City of refusing to enforce its own parking laws as it did with Japingka at the former Unions Store on High Street (http://bitly.ws/Rpif).
They called on the City to instal a physical barrier at the entrance to South Beach to be locked every night and increase patrols in local parks and back streets.
They also believe there is a leak in the City as campers appear to know when officers plan to enforce parking restrictions in the port city.
FRAIC formed after the chaos caused by more than 120 vehicles, camper vans and 4WDs which took up ‘residence’ on Marine Terrace and adjoining streets over Christmas and New Year.
Members Trevor Jewell and Marilyn Ladner told StreetWise most of the unlawfully parked campers are not homeless people without resources. They own well-equipped vehicles and live how and where they like for free, squatting at ratepayers’ expense, often using private addresses to order Uber Eats.
Having kept on a weekly basis details of the campers’ vehicles, FRAIC calculates in the last six months campers have used more than 10,500 nights of free camping in Fremantle and another 4000 nights at South Mole: “That’s between 50 and 75 vehicles illegally camping per night in the Fremantle area.”
That’s at least 15,000 vehicles parked unlawfully (often under council signs) for free and often for weeks in the last six to seven months since FRAIC urged the City to act.
Trevor and Marilyn said the City had not learnt from the Japingka parking controversy in which gallery staff were allowed to park unlawfully across neighbouring bays for nearly two years.
They added: “The failure to act by the City on illegal camping in South Fremantle is reminiscent of the chaos that occurred at Pioneer Park, in the centre of Fremantle, with a homeless peoples’ camp during COVID.” (http://bitly.ws/RpHc)
In a statement sent to StreetWise, FRAIC said: “These are services for all Fremantle residents, but the presence of the illegal campers keeps residents from South Beach, Hilton, White Gum Valley and other areas from enjoying the South Beach amenities.
“The campers do not pay for the services they use nor do they contribute culturally, socially or economically to the Fremantle area.
“Why does the City look after the illegal campers but forget its responsibility to ratepayers and residents?”
Keep on camping on …
RESIDENTS’ group FRAIC says before COVID, street camping in winter dropped to between 10 to 20 vehicles. Post COVID, the number of campers in winter increased to more than 70 parked unlawfully in the Fremantle area.
Many campers say they cannot find affordable accommodation so they have no alternative to camp where they can. A check of Google Earth clearly shows vehicles parked on Marine Terrace as far as the eye can see (below).
FRAIC members Trevor and Marilyn said at 6am on March 2 this year, there were more than 53 unlawfully parked campers in South Fremantle. Of this, 26 were camped on Marine Terrace and Mews Road. More than 12 were camped at South Beach and 15 in adjoining back streets.
“The City, through their spin doctors, claim that their enforcement activities have increased and police have been involved to assist them.
“FRAIC only knows of one occasion where police were asked to assist FCC staff. FCC will not share the statistics on their illegal camping intervention and the results with FRIAC.”
Camping in such circumstances is prohibited by the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Act of 1996 and City’s own parking laws. Both give authorised officers the power to act and implement the law.
The City has erected signs prohibiting camping on Marine Terrace. But FRAIC says the law was not being enforced, having been told at Christmas it could not enforce the law at South Beach because the Public Transport Authority controlled some of the land.
“This is not correct, both Acts give them power to take action against campers who do not have the land owners permission,” Trevor said. “The Minister for Transport gave them a lease, but they did nothing as they wanted to give campers time to respond.
“In March, the City ‘discovered’ that certain sections of Marine Terrace and Mews Road parking was PTA land so they again refused to take any action about camping and parking on these streets. Nothing has been done since they got an extended lease to cover these two streets.”
FRAIC says City staff are ‘first responders’ who have to act according to their statutory responsibilities under the law. If staff do not respond, people are urged to call police.
“They need to enforce the law, and they don’t.”
FRAIC has submitted a plan to the City to help reduce unlawful parking and provide it with more control over unlawful camping while generating additional funds to cover enforcement costs.
Trevor and Marilyn said FRAIC recognised the problems campers faced finding somewhere to stay in Fremantle.
It called on the City to establish a special, pay for use, carpark for campers who cannot find anywhere else to go: “It is suggested that the car park near Captain Munchies is ideal as it is already used as a service area for homeless people. The car park is central and could be set up very quickly with portable showers and toilets funded by the fees paid by campers.”
Additional stories and parking debacles at streetwisemedia.com.au.
