Visitors to the Hinkler Lions Tourist Park in Bundaberg West are reminded that, from tomorrow, overnight stays are no longer permitted, with access to the park now limited to daytime hours only.
Bundaberg Regional Council has implemented the change following a decision to close the park to overnight access, including the installation of a gate across the driveway.
As of 27 January 2026, the park will now be open daily between 5.30 am and 6.30 pm.
Entry to the park outside of these hours is not permitted and camping or overnight stays are prohibited.
The move comes after multiple complaints from members of the community and aligns with the current management of the reserve.
Located on University Drive in Branyan, the Hinkler Lions Tourist Park was previously operated as a maximum 24-hour stay site for self-contained campers and included an amenities block, water access and a dump point.
Access to the park’s amenities, including the dump point, will remain available during daylight hours.
Council encourages visitors to plan their stays accordingly and reminds travellers that alternative overnight accommodation and camping options are available throughout the region.
Information on other overnight stay options can be found on the Bundaberg Regional Council website.
This is unbelievable know we’re are the homeless going to go Helen Blackburn are u going to open ur yard or door so the homeless ppl have somewhere to camp
The homeless need a place to stay where they have access to toilets, people that complain have no empathy or compassion, also closing the park to overnight campers with mororhomes and caravans doesn’t stop a homeless person with a swag or tent from setting up in the park anyway, so what is the outcome the council is looking for ? , just like the federal government, 1 idiot with a gun and the government changes the rules for everyone rather than fixing the real cause
That’s a great result. Now it will be a welcoming area for tourists to stop and refresh instead of the dodgy looking spectacle. It’s our entry to town – now it will be welcoming. Plenty of excellent campgrounds in our area for overnight and longer stays. Well done council.
Multiple complaints from members of the community ! Probably more like complaints from owners/managers of caravan parks who want to charge ridiculous prices to park a caravan in their parks for a night instead.
It seems to me that recent actions may be resulting in fewer visible homeless individuals in our town. Burying one’s head in the sand and pretending an Australia-wide problem doesn’t exist here in our own city of Bundaberg does not help nor solve the problem. I fully expect our council / elected representatives to consider the needs of our city’s vulnerable residents and work to find suitable dwellings with the required amenities, and I expect this to happen immediately.
This is so unreasonable and an abusive
People need a place to stay . There are homeless locals who have been ratepayers in previous years and through no fault of their own because of housing shortage which the government caused .Exorbitant rent are also responsible. So help the homeless locals . It’s not their fault .
So again we penalize the people who do the right thing because of the few who do the wrong thing.
Been closed for over 3 days now…not happy with this strategy