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General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Andrew_C on October 26, 2012, 07:29:28 AM

Title: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: Andrew_C on October 26, 2012, 07:29:28 AM
From information supplied by other campers, an 18 year old was fined $1500 with conviction and also costs for damage done while drunk at Murrindindi Scenic Reserve north east of Melbourne in January.

The other campers in the area were up all night listening to the rowdy group and reported the damage and details of the vehicles involved to DSE who followed it up with Vicpol.

http://www.fwdvictoria.org.au/upload/Press%20Release/2012/20122609%20Murrindindi%20Vandalism.pdf (http://www.fwdvictoria.org.au/upload/Press%20Release/2012/20122609%20Murrindindi%20Vandalism.pdf)

If anybody is going out to Murrindindi, let me know, I know the ranger  ;)
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: LB on October 26, 2012, 07:41:46 AM
Nice to see idiots being made to pay!

LB
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: Paul Mac on October 26, 2012, 08:26:28 AM
About time !

Hopefully it will send a warning to other idiots that this behaviour will not go unpunished.

I did phone the Parks hotline some years ago regarding damage to a camp area with rego number, time and description details and they weren't interested. Looks like they have changed their attitude toward this type of behaviour.

Cheers.

Title: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: Marschy on October 26, 2012, 08:44:54 AM
At Innes NP a couple of years ago in Pondalowie campsite where no campfires are allowed, a couple of families arrived in the late afternoon and started ripping branches off standing trees to make a campfire. Talk about people not giving a toss. They were rowdy, inconsiderate, didnt give a crap about playing their music too loud. We packed up the trailer and left, got there rego numbers but the ranger station at Stenhouse Bay was closed by the time we drove past.
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: Heno on October 26, 2012, 08:48:06 AM
Paul Mac - even if they dont do anything then and there (I work next to some compliance guys for a public agency), the details go into a database, providing back-up information for if/when they do pursue action from subsequent events, helps establish patterns of behaviours etc. Your efforts were unlikely to be in vain, keep it up I say!
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: Bird on October 26, 2012, 09:16:16 AM
Well done to Andrew_C... :) yea the ranger has been around for a while.. Even puttin his arse on the line between a river with families in it and the fire to save people during the big fires few years back..

I hear he can send you bags of burnt cans if you ask nicely :)
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: Andrew_C on October 26, 2012, 09:31:40 AM
If burnt cans and bottles were worth anything, I could retire.  :D

The magistrate was very sympathetic, saying he had a camping trip to Big River ruined by yobbos 30 years ago, and it ruined his exerience of camping. He did not want other peoples experiences ruined by a minority of trouble makers.

DSE has had good results with other yobbo camper cases recently which is good, and the fine and conviction was great considering some of the fines for repeat drink drivers and burgulars did not even make half of it at the court on the day.



Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: Paul Mac on October 26, 2012, 09:45:55 AM
It's good news Andrew.

It was a beautiful area up there and I know you have put in a lot of work to bring it back to it's former glory.

I must admit it was Parks and not DSE who I spoke to all those years ago.

Keep up the great work.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: deepop on October 26, 2012, 04:20:19 PM
That's great news.

What a complete d!@#head!   

Wonder how widely reported this was.   It needs countrywide coverage.
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: Swaggie on October 26, 2012, 06:20:19 PM
As 4WDrivers and Campers we have to "STAND UNITED" on this issue. These dickheads need to be made accountable if we dont want more gates to go up..The old Aussie saying of not dobbing in people does not apply in this case..Because it affects "US ALL" for a few dipsticks actions..

Not sure 1500 bucks is enough but a start.
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: GU Rich on October 27, 2012, 06:18:06 AM
I do know of one camping camping area colse to Melbourne that has camera fitted in the tree tops due to damage happening there alot. The images were in my local paper of vandals at work.

Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: GeeTee on October 27, 2012, 07:20:55 AM
Terrific justice  :police:
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: flamingo on October 27, 2012, 08:16:23 AM
  Fine not enough, Shoulda been more. But at least they caught them..  :police:
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: 1HDT on October 27, 2012, 03:08:56 PM

One for the good guys  :police:

1HDT
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: Clouty on October 27, 2012, 09:22:51 PM
Good stuff... Glad they got caught..
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: achjimmy on October 28, 2012, 08:19:50 PM
Would of been good to see another zero on the fine, hopefully this poor miss guided youth got court costs awarded against him too.
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: Andrew_C on October 28, 2012, 08:40:55 PM
Total bill was close to $2900. If you spend a day at the magistrates court one day ( hopefully just as a onlooker) you will see a completely different world of people who are out of luck or just from the shallow end of the gene pool. The magistrates do a good job but don't have much to work with. They generally don't impose too bigger fines because the people just can't pay them and chucking them in the slammer cost me and you even more.
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: bobnrob on October 28, 2012, 09:21:30 PM
Total bill was close to $2900. If you spend a day at the magistrates court one day ( hopefully just as a onlooker) you will see a completely different world of people who are out of luck or just from the shallow end of the gene pool. The magistrates do a good job but don't have much to work with. They generally don't impose too bigger fines because the people just can't pay them and chucking them in the slammer cost me and you even more.

Want to send a Magistrate up this way? Ours goes through a big speil of what a mongrol the person is, then usually lets them go.
As for not affording the fines, they should've thought of that in the 1st place!
Title: Re: Camper fined $1500 for damage to camping area - Vic
Post by: achjimmy on October 28, 2012, 11:01:34 PM
Yeah they need to confiscate there Winnie blues and VB, that would hurt them more.