A COUPLE has taken advantage of free power supplied by Albury Council while they wait for money to fix up their broken down car.
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Craig Laird and Jodie Allen say they have been camped near the former Albury Regional Museum in Wodonga Place since last Saturday when their Mitsubishi Magna suffered battery problems while they were on the way from Brisbane to Victoria.
“We were stopped at traffic lights when it started to kick and jump,” he said.
“We thought we’d pull in here because at least it would be off the road.”
Mr Laird said they hadn’t planned to stay in the area this long but had no choice as they did not get paid until tomorrow.
“We need to wait to get the parts fixed,” he said.
Despite tapping into a power point on the outside of the former council-run museum, the city’s team leader of compliance John Mulvey said there were no rules being broken.
“It’s a unique situation,” he said.
“Officers are aware of the circumstances and are monitoring the area.”
Mr Laird said they had owned the car for a couple of weeks but the breakdown came as no surprise.
“It’s not the first time it has happened,” he said.
“We bought the car with the assumption nothing was wrong and it has turned into a nightmare.”
The couple originally used the power to try and fix the battery, but have also used it to charge their phones and laptop.
Mr Laird said camping in the car was not their idea of luxury.
“We had some teenage hooligans jumping on the roof and they have damaged it,” he said.
“We’ve had to set ourselves up in this situation and be self-sufficient.
“We are not causing any trouble and are keeping to ourselves.”