Letters to the Editor

We built our motorhomes with plans and dreams to travel this wonderful country, but family comes first.

Father-in-law had a stroke and is now in a nursing home, mother-in-law is blind and has other serious health issues and is still at home, both are in their late 80’s. 

My partner cares for them and I care for her as she has her own health problems.

Until the recent local flooding in Cowra we had been happily camped on and off for the last 18 months at Farleighs Reserve 10km’s from town and with council’s full knowledge of our presence and current situation.

This has enabled us to be close enough to Cowra to provide the required care for my partner’s parents.

This all changed recently when the SES, Police and Council all advised us to move due to the rising river levels.

A council employee advised us that everyone in the caravan park had been evacuated to the car park across the river opposite McDonalds and that there was no room for us, but would be no problem parking at the airport until the river level subsided.

Upon arrival at the airport I also asked the flying school ‘Fly Oz’ who leases the area from the council if we could stay until the river subsided and permission was also granted.

A couple of days later another council employee told us to go. I asked if the next morning was OK as I have a knee injury and again permission was granted.

The next morning the Senior Council Ranger arrived as I was just about to drive away (my engine was running).

I was read the riot act and threatened with the possible confiscation of our motorhomes, being taken to court and big fines and spoken to in condescending tones that left me feeling like I was a criminal.

I immediately left the airport when he let us go and then proceeded back to the high end of Farleighs Reserve.

The next morning the council ranger arrived again at Farleighs Reserve to inform us that the council had had a meeting about us and that we were now on their radar and being watched and also, we were going to receive documents from council.

We can now only camp for 2 days at a time and not more than 60 days in a year.

We did no harm and we abide by the ‘Leave No Trace’ program.

I had also volunteered to mow lawns etc and frequently cleaned up and cared for the area.

There are huge areas of State, Local and Crown bushland all around Cowra NOT BEING used for anything, but we can’t camp on any of it for fear of having our motorhomes confiscated, being fined and possibly being left unable to care for my partner or her for her parents.

With so many homeless and so many people that cannot afford to rent or buy a home anymore and so much government owned land out there not being used for anything, it just doesn’t seem fair to threaten us with fines to simply camp on it.  

What harm does it do to anyone?

I have approached all the real estate offices in Cowra asking about renting or leasing a small area in the bush outside town without success.

I have approached Crown Lands, they said we can’t lease because crown land is controlled by council.

I have approached LLS… They can’t help us.

I have approached Cowra council to ask if I can rent or lease land.  Apparently not.

I have asked council for assistance to contact farmers in the area. But they don’t do that.

I have asked council for help and advice. They said they are not there to give help or advice either. In their words, ‘It is not our problem’.

I’m a former WIRES volunteer and we both love living in the bush with nature. We don’t want to be crammed into a caravan park and simply cannot afford it as it would be cheaper to rent a house. Please read my blog about freecamping: http://markb.info/free-camping.php   

We are seeking a small area (preferably fenced) of cleared land no more than 20k’s from the Cowra CBD where we can live in peace and quiet with nature in our motorhomes while caring for my in-laws, without threats or harassment from any individual or authority.

Our motorhomes are ‘fully self-contained’ and we do NOT require any services apart from mobile phone/internet. If you can help, please contact us at helpus@markb.info

Mark Bockhodt

I'm reading news (on the Daily Mail website) that the Aboriginal children are going on crime sprees in Cowra.

The council should shut down Erambie Mission if they cannot abide laws or conduct themselves as an inclusive part of the local community.

This mission and their behaviour has been a blight on the community for decades.

I remember when they ripped the floorboards and walls of their houses up to burn.

They were then provided with brick houses to curb this and still two generations later the place is still an eyesore.

The elders today are just older versions of the past.

They never had nor will have the respect of the younger generation because they're just as bad.

The only black power they have is that law abiding, tax paying community minded people have been gagged and disabled by political correctness.

The Council, community and law enforcement need to get tough and collectively act to stamp out this anarchist attitude of the local self entitled Aboriginal community of Cowra.

Diane McGarry, Melbourne