Broome council extends caravan stays on private property to two years

The Shire of Broome council has signed off on a new policy that lets people live in a van, camper or bus on private property for up to two years as part of a broader shift in WA’s camping laws.

The move follows State-level changes last year that handed local governments the power to approve long-term camping on private land, bypassing the need for ministerial approval.

Under the new rules, people can now apply to live in a vehicle or caravan for 24 months, so long as they meet basic health and safety requirements of access to power, water and sewage.

The shire’s new policy replaces the old three-month limit and applies to vehicles being used for accommodation, including camper trailers, motorhomes and converted buses.

But tiny homes are still considered a planning matter and need a full development application.

Council documents acknowledge Broome’s cyclone risk, noting that two years effectively covers two cyclone seasons, and say special consideration will be needed for anyone setting up long-term camp in a high-risk area.

The shire has also kept the power to pull approvals if conditions aren’t being met.

Since 2022, only eight applications have come through with three of them from circus operators.

The change is being pitched as part of a bigger push to ease pressure from the State’s housing crisis and cut red tape.