Ludwig,
I am no legal expert, but our parking officers used to be assigned to the police. Nowdays they are Rangers employed by LG. Police may still have juristiction in relation to traffic and parking as well.

But I think you will find that other LG ordinances are the responsibility of the local council. This would include camping grounds, garbage tips, sporting fields, tree felling, building regulations, beaches, recreation areas and so on. Some councils even designate some beaches dog free areas and others where one is allowed to take a dog, some parks the same. I doubt if police would enforce those ordinances.

If you were to park in say a bus stop where there were signs the police could book you, but if you were to park say on the footpath where there were no signs, I think it would be a council matter. Interesting where the juristictions begin and end.

Ludwig, the simple answer might be if you park your vehicle there
no problem, but if you put out table and chairs etc, then you are
camping on the site.

<< I think you'll find those signs are merely an insurance policy, & a money saving measure >>

Hasbeen, yes indeed, councils seem to have this bad habit of putting up signs to cover their arses… er… backsides… without any intention of actually making sure that people observe them!

But they should realise that if it can be demonstrated that they are not policing their bylaws and hence effectively allowing a different situation to exist, then they could be liable to suance… and to a charge of misleading the public, and playing silly-buggers with the law… which could and should incur very significant penalties.

<< I'd suggest you keep quiet, before the site develops a 6Ft high fence, to protect the councilors. >>

Interesting point. If the council gets wind of this bad publicity online, they are more likely to clamp down on ‘illegal’ camping rather than remove the stupid no camping signs and let people in cars and campervans stay there overnight legally.

Perhaps they should realise that people are enjoying their environs and spending money in cafes and restaurants and all sorts of other stuff in the local area, and be grateful that grey nomads, international campervan tourists and the odd north Queensland beachbum like their part of the world.

This seems to be the situation around Cairns and Mission Beach, where I have BB'd recently.

Should the Port Macquarie – Hastings Council they dig their heels in and enforce their bylaws or should they see the light and let the existing situation continue with formal condonance?

Of course, the third option, and the most likely by far, is that they’ll just continue with this totally duplicitous situation.

"I noted a number of campervans that were clearly staying put for the night"

They were legally parked. That is all you observed.

Just as a side issue but an important one I believe: through all sorts of acts government has continually infringed on the previous freedom of the road and the right of travellers to take rest beside the Queen's highway.

There are many kilometres of highway and cities around Australia where short and long distance travellers are sorely treated forcing them into paid accommodation.

It goes further than that, greedy accommodation owners, cafes and other businesses complain about public benches and water fountains in central business districts. Modern shopping centres ensure that there are few seats and mums with children in tow must pay for coffee for a short rest on a chair.

Police who apply discretion to allow travellers some rest are the least of our worries. Better they rest when weary than trudge on risking an accident trying to find a place to stay. Besides, the presence of grey nomads and other good citizens like them discourages vandals and perverts.

On the other hand there are youthful backpackers crammed into vans who leave refuse and human excreta in their wake. Never good to come across a toilet that is out of order because some disgusting soul has dropped a plastic bag of rubbish into it. Then there are the petrol heads who seem to live on the Colonel's takeaway chicken and feel obliged to dump the packaging wherever they park.

Yes a few more "rest" areas, & off road perking areas would be useful. I had a rather nervous night on the side of the road, between Sarina & Marlborough some years back, when my head lights failed about 10PM. I had my one tonner heavily loaded, with a heavily loaded caravan on the back.

That road is moderately elevated, mostly over a meter, & I had to trundle along for a few kilometers, using just a large torch to light my way, & warn the odd truck before I found a spot where the verge was not too steep to drive down. Even then I was only a few feet off the road.

Deciding to spend the night, I could only clear the rear bunk in the van, & was nervous a drowsy semi driver would aim for the reflectors on my van, not realising it was stopped, & come in through the back to join me.

I was a bit lucky with where it happened. The next day I had driven almost 10Km before there was another spot where it would have been safe to get down off that elevated road, with the van on the back.

Whoa there, Ludwig, let's not rush things. After all, one swallow does not a summer make, as Aristotle wisely observed.

>>I had to read your post several times, searching for the sarcasm. But no, we do appear to have genuine conjugality!<<

Conjugality, adj: Of or relating to marriage or the relationship of spouses

I think you'd at least need to take me out to dinner first.