Castlemaine, Victoria: Mum of two young kids breaks her silence as she faces being kicked off her own land by council chiefs – after the housing crisis left them homeless and camping out to survive
EXCLUSIVE
A mother of two young children has spoken out after council chiefs threatened to evict her and her friend after the rental crisis left them homeless.
Single mother Beck Meyers moved to the site with her two children, aged seven and 10, to join her boyfriend Nathaniel Muller, 51, on the land they now co-own.
The pair have created their own bush campsite, with bell tents, an outdoor kitchen, solar panels and contained waste systems.
Mount Alexander Shire Council last week planned to evict them from the property amid concerns it has “severe” limitations and is not suitable for living.
But following a site visit on Friday, Ms Meyers has now revealed they have been granted a brief stay of execution but their future still hangs in the balance.
“We’ve created a beautiful house on our piece of land – it seems shocking that you can’t camp on your own piece of land,” she said.
‘There is no mention of a new eviction date or a date by which we have to vacate the premises, so we are in a kind of limbo.
Beck Meyers, her two children, now aged seven and ten (pictured), and her boyfriend Nathaniel Muller, were evicted from their own land by a ‘ruthless’ campsite council last week
Mr Muller (pictured with his dog Rosco), a landscaper and cancer survivor, has created a system of waterways on the land that allows wildlife to flourish. The foursome have been granted a brief stay of execution after the council agreed to engage with them, but they are still in limbo.
Ms Meyers added that they were “stressed” because they had nowhere else to go.
“Winter is coming and we really want to work something out with the council that seems reasonable given the circumstances,” she said.
Mr Muller, 51, a landscaper, originally bought the two-and-a-half-acre plot of land on Campbells Creek near Castlemaine in central Victoria in 2020, intending to use it for camping.
But he moved to the property with Ms Meyer and her children after rent became unaffordable for them late last year.
The council has now claimed there are issues with the site, including the risk of bushfires, cultural sensitivities, environmental impacts and the fact it is in an agricultural area.
But in an apparent eleventh-hour climb, the council now appears to have granted a brief reprieve after an official visit on Friday.
Ms Meyers told Daily Mail Australia there was a “strange sense of relief” that they had not been evicted from the land, even as they remained “stuck in a place of ignorance”.
Michael Annear, director of infrastructure and development at Mount Alexander Shire Council, previously insisted the couple would be treated with “compassion”.
“We will talk to them and listen to their situation,” he told the ABC.
However, Ms Meyers said council workers were “curt” and barely spoke to them during Friday’s visit as they took photos around the property.
When she approached council workers, she was simply given a sheet with a list of emergency accommodation and caravan park numbers on it.
“I read what Michael Annear had said about approaching us with compassion and that it would be a conversation about what options are available,” Ms Meyers told Daily Mail Australia.
‘There was no conversation. No real options were presented.
“All they’re presenting to us is that we’re going to be homeless because caravan parks have a limit of about 58 days and that’s expensive. That is not a realistic option.’
However, the pair were ordered to destroy a small pond that Mr Muller had created on the property because there was no safety barrier around it (pictured).
Ms Meyers said they would like to install a railing or fence, but the council has demanded it be destroyed by Thursday (pictured)
Ms Meyers reiterated her desire to reach an agreement with the council to allow them to live on the land.
“It seems ridiculous to me that they would consider pushing us onto the streets when we are in the middle of a housing crisis and there really isn’t an affordable place for us,” Ms. Meyers said.
“We also understand that there are a lot of restrictions on the site and we would like to have an actual conversation with the council about this to see what we can do to make it work for everyone.”
Daily Mail Australia approached Mount Alexander Shire Council for comment on the new developments.
Although they were not evicted as first feared, the pair were ordered to destroy a small pond that Mr Muller had created on the property as there was no safety barrier around it.
The friends claim it’s not just any campsite: they have dry storage, a functional outdoor kitchen (pictured), solar energy and contained waste systems
Beck Meyers previously accused the municipality of showing no “compassion” after removing it from the site
“It’s really disappointing because so much has changed on the land since Nathaniel put that water retention system in place,” Ms Meyers added.
‘There are so many more birds and frogs, the whole ecosystem has really blossomed around that series of ponds.
“Every stone is placed there by hand and it’s very artistic. It just seems cruel to me not to explore the options.”
Ms Meyers said they would ‘love’ to install a railing or fence, but the council has demanded it be destroyed by Thursday.
“I know there are a lot of safety issues that council has talked about. We are aware of that,” she added.
We are keen to discuss these issues and see if anything can be resolved, especially in winter where there are so few fire risks.”
Art worker Ms Meyers, who also runs a Chai Tea stall at local markets, homeschools her two children.
The property is a bush block and when Nathaniel bought it in 2020 it was sold as a camping site
But last September, an ordinance was passed banning camping on land where there is no home
She says they are “saddened” at the thought of leaving because it is a “place where they have a lot of freedom and peace in the bush.”
“They are blooming here because I did a good job,” Ms. Meyers added.
‘When I paid the rent before, I was constantly stressed because everything revolved around paying the rent.
‘There are days when I might skip a meal or two. But here we live a very good life. It’s a simple life, but we love it.’
Castlemaine center is only a 15 minute drive away and the children are close to their friends, having lived in the area all their lives.
Nearly 95 percent of the more than 1,300 Daily Mail Australia respondents on the subject said the council should allow Mr Muller and Ms Meyers to remain on their land.
The property is a bush block and when Nathaniel bought it in 2020 it was sold as a camping site.
Mr Muller built a series of swimming pools to allow a natural ecosystem to thrive on the property
Ms Meyers says her two home-schooled children are ‘saddened’ at the thought of leaving because it is a ‘place where they have a lot of freedom and peace in the bush’
But last September, an ordinance was passed banning camping on land where there is no home.
The friends claim it’s not just any campsite: they have dry storage, a functional outdoor kitchen, solar energy and contained waste systems.
“The land has flourished since Nathaniel built a system of waterways that keep the water on the property,” he says petition calling on the council to allow them to remain in the state.
‘The bird life is abundant, the frog calls are deafening in the summer and they replant the land.
“Nathaniel is healing from cancer and PTSD, and healing the land has been a big part of his own recovery.
‘The constant stress of finding suitable accommodation at a time when there are so few options is taking its toll on both their families.’
Mr Annear previously said the council had spoken to the pair several times over the years.
He insisted the block was not suitable for living due to concerns including the risk of bushfires, cultural sensitivities, environmental impact and the fact it is in an agricultural area.