Residents blast shire’s failure to provide camping overflow solution to budget traveller influx

Residents have blasted the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River amid overwhelming calls to establish an overflow camping area for budget travellers.

Despite months of behind-the-scenes work leading to the establishment of a new stakeholder committee to guide “quick wins” in the war against illegal camping, the shire’s revised strategy, unveiled at a special council meeting last week, was roundly rejected on social media.

The shire’s own Facebook page trumpeting its news had comments switched off.

The language of walking “side by side” with the community was also rejected after pundits demanded the local government “be the adult in the room”, stop endless consultation, and take action.

“So is the entire approach around punishment and prevention?” resident Cath Wood asked.

“You haven’t given