A family of travelling showmen have said they will not vacate the Albury Showgrounds despite being given a 48-hour deadline to leave.
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Eli Nocen and his father John, 64, have been staying on the crown land since Eli’s mother, Margaret, was hospitalised in Albury after having a stroke.
Despite staying five weeks over the showground’s five-night limit, Mr Nocen believes they should be allowed to stay until his mother is out of hospital.
On Thursday, Mr Nocen was given formal notice by the Albury Showground Trust ‘that in line with Albury Council regulations, the family and their possessions must be gone by Saturday.
“I’m absolutely disgusted,” Mr Nocen said.
The Trust declined to comment.
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His Albury-based partner Angela Barnes said they were talking to a number of services to see if they had any options.
“It’s like people don’t care, but we don’t know an alternative,” she said.
Mr Nocen said having stopped work to be near his mum and with two caravans and a canteen, which requires power to ensure the food he sells doesn’t spoil, he cannot afford to rent multiple sites in a caravan park.
Mr Nocen believes under the Crown Land Management Regulation 2018, he can stay legally while his mum is in hospital.
The regulations states it is an offence ‘to remain in or on the land … when reasonably requested to leave by an authorised person’.
But also says ‘...if the defendant proves that there was a reasonable excuse for the conduct’ it could be a defence to prosecution.
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