G’Day,

Tweed Shire Council has closed down the Stotts Island camp. I don’t like to call any camp a free camp because when you stay in a camp you still have to buy supplies and all the other things that are used in daily life. Food, fuel, entertainment and general living costs spring to mind.

Tweed Shire Council own the vast majority of caravan parks in the Tweed and this makes me feel that the decision to close down Stotts Island camp is a commercial one and council’s decision is designed to drive visitors to the area into their caravan parks. The suits at the council will obviously come up with other reasons for closing the camp. I feel that their hidden reasoning is commercial.

The council’s push for their monetary gain in their parks disregards the income that other businesses will lose when travellers bypass the Tweed for friendlier locations where travellers are welcomed.

Murwillumbah Showground is now open for 26 camp sites at the cost of $20 per night.

All dump points in the shire are behind boom gates. When we went to the Murwillumbah Show Ground we rang the Caretaker’s number to seek the location of the dump point. His response was he would collect the $20 and then reveal the location of the dump point. When we pointed out that we only wanted to use the dump point his response was that we had to pay the $20 to use the dump point – we disposed of our waste elsewhere.

Murwillumbah is a fair way from the Tweed and Gold Coasts and as a location this will probably not suit most travellers.

We have been to areas where the local councils recognise the financial benefits to local businesses from travellers. Tweed Shire Council, I believe, is placing their own income in front of the business income in the shire.

Cheers CHONGA