The 400 fruit pickers living at a holiday park in a small beach town are expected to be gone within two weeks after complaints about their unruly behaviour.
Local residents in Arrawarra, near Coffs Harbor on the NSW north coast, say their home has turned into a “wild breeding ground” of migrant fruit pickers after the alleged rape of a teenage girl.
The 17-year-old girl was walking home near Arrawarra Beach about 7.30pm on Friday when she was confronted by a man who had allegedly sexually assaulted her.
A 34-year-old man has now been charged.
The man accused of assault is said to be an employee of the Pacific Australia Labor Mobility (PALM) program, who had worked as a seasonal fruit picker and stayed at the Arrawarra Holiday Park.
The man was taken to Coffs Harbor police station where he was later charged with sexual intercourse without consent, refused bail and remanded in custody to appear in court next year.
It follows another incident a week ago when a young woman reportedly hid in a toilet cubicle after being chased by a man she thought was under the influence of alcohol.
Local residents in Arrawarra, near Coffs Harbor on the NSW north coast, say their home has turned into a “wild breeding ground” for migrant fruit pickers after the alleged rape of a teenage girl. (Pictured is the rubbish lying around the seaside resort)
The holiday park began hosting fruit pickers during the Covid pandemic, with as many as 400 living on the accommodation site at any one time.
Member for Coffs Harbor Gurmesh Singh said on Wednesday morning he believes the workers will be relocated soon.
“Residents there have been raising concerns for some time and it’s sad to see that an (alleged) incident like this has brought this to a head,” he told Triple M’s Moffee in the Morning.
‘I understand that the police have been very alert to the residents of that park.
“Ultimately, my understanding is that the PALM program employees won’t be there much longer and will hopefully be gone in a week or two.”
Mr Singh said he had called a meeting earlier this year to get residents, the holiday park and stakeholders to ‘try and talk it out’.
“There was quite a bit of animosity between residents and the park, and it didn’t lead to very favorable outcomes,” he said.
One local resident claimed there has been a long history of ‘anti-social behaviour’ in Arrawarra.
“What was once a pristine slice of paradise where families could make amazing lifelong memories all year round is now a wild breeding ground,” they wrote in a Facebook group.
Police have charged a 34-year-old man with assault after a 17-year-old girl was dragged into bushes and brutally raped last Friday evening (pictured by Arrawarra Beach)
‘We have tried so many times to let the municipality and the police know that this place is unsafe.
‘Not a dry area. Alcohol and antisocial behavior have been around for a long time’.
A local resident claimed that his 13-year-old daughter could no longer go to the beach alone because she was allegedly approached by some fruit pickers.
Locals had complained earlier this year that workers were turning the coastal paradise into a ‘slum’.
Some claim that there have been incidents of drunkenness and aggression by workers and waste being left on the beach and in local waterways.
The beach strip is considered a gem hidden among the area’s most populous townships, with a relaxed atmosphere, kangaroos hopping along the beach and pristine surf.
The influx of hundreds of berry pickers in recent years has led some residents – whose local population is only between 50 and 100 people – to worry that their piece of paradise is being destroyed.
Locals have complained about fruit pickers staying in the area and leaving waste behind
Locals describe the migrant workers as “nice people” but say they are housed in squalid quarters with six or more adult men in a cramped slum with dangerously “sloppy” electricity.
A local resident had previously accused residents of being biased against Pacific Islanders, who make up the bulk of fruit pickers.
“These are people, they work very hard, they are great people. They are building a future for their families and countries and our nation depends on them to support the farm,” he said.
‘The berry pickers appreciate the beauty of the location, they feel at home there when they come from the islands.
“It would be great to see some more support from government and other stakeholders for Pacific Islanders.”