Peter Speir of Thriv-e Bike Hire and Service Centre at The Entrance has launched a petition to reclaim Picnic Point and the Tuggerah Lakes foreshore in the interests of public safety.
Speir says long-term campers have taken over the public carparks, making the areas unsafe for residents and tourists and causing devastating consequences for small businesses.
“My son-in-law was recently fined $160 for parking on the grass after launching his boat – because the carparks were full of caravans, boats, trailers, and tents left by those now living there permanently,” Speir said.
He said there were syringes, alcohol, shouting, and even public nudity near children’s playgrounds and mothers and elderly residents no longer feel safe walking in the area.
While many of the long-term campers are thought to be homeless, he said compassion should not come at the cost of public safety, access and the local economy.
“Businesses are closing, visitors are staying away, and local families are avoiding the foreshore,” he said.
“The reality on the ground is stark.
“We cannot wait (for action); we need to stand up together.”
Speir said the push for a new boardwalk at The Entrance was pointless when no-one felt safe enough to use the one already there.
“Tourists are staying away, families are avoiding the foreshore, locals are choosing other towns,” he said.
“Small businesses like mine cannot survive another two years while this situation is ignored.
“We need to refocus on reclaiming The Entrance foreshore.”
Speir said the petition called for immediate relocation of the homeless to areas near transport and services with appropriate housing and the consistent enforcement of parking and camping laws.
“If we remain silent, our public spaces will continue to be taken over, and the decline of The Entrance will accelerate,” he said.
“We urge the community to stand together and support this petition – not out of malice, but out of necessity.”
Sign the petition at https://thriv-e.com/reclaim-the-entrance-petition-for-public-safety/
While the homeless crisis is very saddening on the coast it seems that instead of the council actually doing anything positive about it like always they do nothing while the homeless claim all the coasts foreshore property destroying what is left of tourism on the coast.
Not every person in a van is homeless, their van is their home by lifestyle choice – they are living the “van life”. The problem is that there is not enough land set aside for van lifers to free camp so they park wherever they see others camping. In the USA and Canada places such as Target and Walmart allow van lifers to use their car parks for free outside of business hours. Yes there are caravan parks but they are often booked out and like rental prices their prices have skyrocketed.
Do something council to help move these people to relocate and from taking up prime land that residents spend thousands of dollars to live here while they live for free
It would be good to apply this to all public carparks and parking spaces on the street. Council or state government needs to tap into gov allocations for the homeless and provide proper camping facilities so they have somewhere to go.
I’m a new mum and scared to go out walking in the entrance and even long jetty. I have been yelled at, intimidated, verbally abused by those drinking and clearly affected by drugs. I also have received parking fines at Toowoon Bay where there are many of vans parked there and have been there for months, live there and park their trailers and boats. Disappointing and scary