A Perth ports authority has been forced to close a local peninsula in response to an increase in illegally parked campervans and a Friday night rave that left property damage and vandalism.
Fremantle Ports closed South Mole — an operational area owned, controlled and maintained by the authority — on Monday after a weekend party.
The authority also revealed there had been a significant increase in backpackers camping on South Mole, with more than 30 vans parked at the narrow peninsula on at least one night.
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READ NOWA spokesperson told PerthNow most of the vans were believed to be used by “young travellers” and the increase in camping was not “a homeless issue”.
They said a spike in vandalism issues and formal complaints had followed the campervans.
“We’ve been tolerant about this practice but as the numbers have risen, so have the issues — rubbish discarded, graffiti, complaints from fishermen about nowhere to park, tents put up and toilets not respected,” they said.
“Operational vehicles have trouble accessing the end of the mole due to vans taking up the roadway.”
The ports authority is assessing and repairing damages while considering options to reopen the area.
The spokesperson said while they were mostly sympathetic to travellers keen to camp near Fremantle, South Mole was not an option.
“Many backpackers keep to themselves and we’re sympathetic to the ones that do the right thing,” they said.
“We understand they want to camp cheaply and close to Fremantle, but South Mole isn’t the solution and it doesn’t have the amenities suitable for camping, particularly regarding health and safety.”
In March last year, parking at Fremantle’s South Beach was capped at four hours as the council also battled illegal campers.
At the time, PerthNow reported more than a dozen campers parked at South Beach and at least six vans along Marine Terrace on one night alone.
City of Fremantle field services manager Mark Donnelly then told PerthNow the city was taking over responsibility for the Public Transport Authority-owned carpark at South Beach to more effectively manage illegal camping.
“We are changing the time limits to four hours to ensure vehicles are not able to stay overnight,” he said last year.
Parking at South Mole has a three-hour time limit and is regularly patrolled.