Wednesday April 19, 2023
Volume 38 No. 12
$1 inc. GST
The Cobar Weekly More accolades for Hermidale school Pg 2
LBV continues to meet Aged Care guidelines Pg 3
Marsden calls for Council to invest in housing Pg 4
Council closes carpark to campers Cobar Shire Council’s general manager Mr Vlatko said in addition to council staff Mr Vlatko said it was the overcrowding, that Peter Vlatko made a decision last week to using the carpark, the area is also used by council could not control, that was the main close the council car park (behind the coun- trucks making deliveries to the adjacent super- reason for the closure to campers. cil building) to caravan campers. market. He said Cobar has a wonderful caravan park Temporary fencing was erected in the car- He said the increasing number of caravans which they can use, they can park at the Copark last Thursday with signs reading ‘No parking in the carpark was making it difficult bar sign and also at other rest stops. camping on this site. Due to the inappropriate for the trucks to get in and out. Continued Page 10. actions of previous caravanners this site is no longer available for use.’ The back of the council carpark (off Lewis Street) has unofficially been a parking spot for free campers passing through town for some time. Mr Vlatko said council had, up until now, tolerated caravanners and campers parking there. “It’s a carpark and not a camping ground,” Mr Vlatko told The Cobar Weekly. “It had started being abused by the number of caravans that were parking there, in terms of they were cramming in next to each other and it became a risk factor. “There had also been some inappropriate behavior and, so on that basis, I had no choice but to shut it down,” he said. According to NSW Planning, councils are encouraged to be proactive in preventing illegal camping. The reasons for this include: if inadequate facilities are provided or the standard of operation is unsatisfactory, the health and safety of campers will not be assured. This may be especially so in relation to fire safety. NSW Planning advises the use of an illegal caravan park or camping ground may cause disturbance to adjoining land users. This disturbance may be associated with noise, scattering of rubbish, or inadequate toilet facilities or Council’s carpark off Lewis Street has been closed to caravanners and campers due to provision for greywater disposal. the risks associated with the area becoming overcrowded.
