Tumbrella

Darwin at sunset

Backpackers are being fined for camping in Darwin parks to avoid paying accommodation fees, Darwin City Council has said.  

A council spokesman told Tumbrella backpackers have been pitching tents and using parks as campgrounds while sleeping in their campervans and leaving the area polluted.

“There’s not just the issue of rubbish, it’s ablutions as well. It’s a tropical area so you don’t want people defacating in it,” the spokesman said.

While some backpackers have been fined, others are moved on without hassle, but the spokesman said they are shortly replaced by another group of campers.

“We’re looking into assigning a designated spot that is free for backpackers to camp, but then you’ve got people with commercial areas like caravan parks who won’t approve, it’s a difficult issue,” he added.

But Backpacker Tourism Advisory Panel (BTAP) Chairman and MD of campervan rental company Travellers Auto Barn Peter Burke said the problem lies with the accommodation shortage in Darwin.

“There’s not enough accommodation in Darwin at certain times of the year, which happens to be the times when people want to go to there,” he said.

Burke added: “They use the vans to drive to Darwin and they deserve a medal for doing it, they should be encouraged to make the drive. Planes, trains and buses also book out. Campervans are the icing on the cake for Darwin, because once everything else books out, these guys can still get in and get to sleep.”

Tourism Northern Territory Senior Policy Officer in Insights and Strategy Karen Fitzgerald said the decision to camp in parks would be forced by a combination of saving money and a lack of beds.

“If it was July/August I’d say definitely a lack of beds would be the case. But in October when it’s 38/39 degree heat and 95 per cent humidity, I’d want to be in a room,” she said.