No free camping in Byron Shire

There are a number of camp grounds in Byron Shire including at the following localities:

• Byron Bay 
• Suffolk Park
• Broken Head
• Brunswick Heads
• Mullumbimby
• National Parks (Rummery Park campground)

For more information we recommend you visit one of our tourism information centres.

The fines for illegal camping range from an on-the-spot fine of $110 to a maximum of $2,200.

For significant breaches, or for repeat offenders, Council will not hesitate to issue Court Attendance Notices which have a maximum penalty of $110,000.

Byron Shire also has a problem with homelessness which is a social issue and this is often confused with illegal camping.

This is a very complex and challenging issue which involves not just Council, but other agencies as well.

Our illegal camping enforcement practices do not target the genuine homeless.

For more information please refer to Byron Shire Council's Homelessness Policy. 

Illegal camping impacts on public health as well as our urban and natural environments.

What we find with a significant number of illegal campers is they often leave their mess behind, setup make-shift kitchens in parks and on footpaths and use the area as a toilet as well.

Our staff have had to clean up faeces, toilet paper, domestic waste, tents and furniture.

When there is illegal camping in our town centre car parks, it limits access for our street cleaning machinery which results in litter being blown around. Our street cleaner is often blocked in the Byron Main Beach car park, a sensitive area adjacent to the Cape Byron Marine Park. 

At April 2018,  legal camp grounds in Byron Shire are advertising at rates starting from $15 per night.

There are two free rest stops at Tyagarah and Yelgun off the Pacific Highway.