The controversial camping issue was before the committee ahead of the full council meeting on February 27, with little changes to the recommendation of making a section 68 application to operate a primitive camping ground (PCG) and only allowing self-contained travellers to stay 72 hours or face fines.

Manager of East’s Riverview Caravan Park, Jeff Simons, spoke for the collective caravan park owners and managers who were in the gallery of the meeting.

“We ... are not against appropriate areas set aside for free

camping,” he said.

“The location of Wilks Park as a primitive camping ground is inappropriate due to the close proximity to town and the town centre that by having a PCG (council will be) in direct competition with legitimate caravan parks. This in turn is having a negative financial impact of all the parks.”

Mr Simons questioned whether Wilks Park as a camping ground constituted competitive neutrality, which commercial and economic development director Peter Adams believed was not the case as council doesn’t charge campers.

Councillors Gary Hiscock, Lindsay Vidler, Kerry Pascoe, Wayne Geale and Rod Kendall each put various questions to Mr Simons, such as whether the parks in Wagga have the capacity and facilities to take on the 37 campers reported at Wilks Park on Sunday. His answer was yes.

“All the caravan parks in Wagga ... are capable of taking the vehicles (large motor homes) comfortably,” he said.

“(Perhaps) we would negotiate a deal with council to take these vehicles into the parks and have an agreed fee, (it) would take the pressure off us and the council.”

That idea was not dismissed by councillors, who will attend a workshop on the matter.