Friday, February 7, 2025

Brooms Head foreshore to return to the community

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Clarence Valley Council has announced the Brooms Head foreshore will be returned to the community with sites adjacent to the beach no longer available to families who have camped there for more than 50 years, across generations.

Last week the CV Independent published a story, ‘Brooms Head Holiday Park proposal leaves campers furious’, which detailed the 34 unpowered sites, 24 beachfront sites in section B and 10 sites in section AC of the park, resulted in the Brooms Head Campers and Caravanners Association convening a meeting on January 2 to discuss the proposal.

The meeting was attended by about 120 people, many of whom were vehemently opposed to not being able to camp on their traditional decades-long campsites, after at least one had replaced their caravan with a camper trailer to comply with an email from the Brooms Head Holiday Park Management Team, dated April 21, 2024.

The letter stated that from March 4, 2024, “caravans will no longer be permitted on the Waterfront B Section of Brooms Head Holiday Park” “in order to comply with local and state legislation including our Authority to Operate”.

Campers were furious as they said there was absolutely no input or consultation from or with the effected campers and no consultation with local businesses who will be impacted by people not being able to camp in the 34 sites.

Council issued the statement below on January 8 about the situation.

“Brooms Head Holiday Park patrons have been notified that the sites adjacent to the beach will no longer be available for booking after May 2025 with the move marking the first step in returning the foreshore to the broader community.

Brooms Head Holiday Park is unique in the way that most of the facilities near the Holiday Park, such as the foreshore, amenities, playground, community hall and Snak Shak, are community facilities available to both residents and visitors alike.

Discussions with residents and broader Clarence Valley community members to date highlights a need for more open space and picnic facilities for day trippers to Brooms Head.

Following a Council Resolution at the November 2024 Ordinary Council Meeting, further discussions will be held with the community about site plans to support the Holiday Park’s future as a space enjoyed by both campers and day visitors.

Clarence Valley Council’s General Manager, Laura Black explained the reasoning behind the decision.

“The movement of large vehicles in such a pedestrian-heavy zone, along with issues related to wastewater disposal, have raised safety and environmental concerns,” she said.

“Complaints from residents and day-trippers about these impacts were frequent until the recent decision to remove sites along the foreshore, was made and communicated.

“Over time, camping on the foreshore has evolved.

“Council made the decision to reduce the availability of these sites as part of an approach to ultimately phase out camping in this location.

“This decision responds to community concerns about overcrowding and large vehicles encroaching on public access to the much-loved beach and foreshore areas.

“Council resolved to inform regular campers who had enjoyed exclusive access to these beachfront sites for generations that changes were coming.”

The August 2021 Council Business Paper identifies that Clarence Valley Council has maintained the foreshore camping tradition beyond that intended by Maclean Shire Council, which resolved in 1987 to maintain camping as long as the original persons occupying the site did so.

The camping rights were to remain with the husband and wife originally approved and were not to be transferred to another person and were to be returned for public recreation once this right expired.

“While overdue, we have been implementing that decision since 2021,” Ms Black said.

The sites, which were originally small and designed for simpler camping experiences in the mid-tolate 1900s, are not suitable for the larger, self-contained RVs and caravans that now dominate camping in the 2020s.

These modern vehicles often encroach on neighbouring sites and public areas, leading to over-crowding.

Importantly, this decision does not prevent long-time campers from booking other sites within the Holiday Park, which offers 238 available sites.”

Clarence Valley Council submitted a draft Plan of Management (PoM) to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure – Crown Lands and Public Spaces in December, seeking approval to publicly exhibit the PoM.

A Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure – Crown Lands and Public Spaces spokesperson said the Council has submitted a draft Plan of Management on Brooms Head Holiday Park to Crown Lands which will need to be assessed before Council places it on public exhibition.

“Plans of Management are assessed to ensure compliance with the Crown Land Management Act 2016,” the spokesperson said.

“The community and stakeholders will have the opportunity to provide feedback when the draft Plan of Management goes on public exhibition.

“The Council is obliged to advertise when it is placed on public exhibition.” 

Clarence Valley Independent 15 January 2025

This article appeared in the Clarence Valley Independent, 15 January 2025.


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