EXCLUSIVE
A mother of two young children has spoken out after council bosses threatened to evict her and her friend from their own land after the rental crisis left people homeless.
Single mother Beck Meyers moved to the camp with her two children, ages seven and 10, to join her friend Nathaniel Muller, 51, on the land they now co-own.
The couple has created their own camp in the forest, with tents, an outdoor kitchen, solar panels and waste containment systems.
Mount Alexander Shire Council planned to evict them from the property last week amid concerns it has “serious” limitations and is unsuitable for living.
But after a visit to the site on Friday, Ms Meyers has revealed that they have been granted a short stay of execution but their future remains at stake.
“We’ve built a beautiful house on our land; it seems shocking that you can’t camp on your own land,” he said.
‘There is no mention of a new eviction date or a date by which we have to vacate the property, so we are in this state of limbo.
Beck Meyers, his two children, now aged seven and ten (pictured), and their friend Nathaniel Muller faced being evicted from a campsite on their own land by an “uncompassionate” council last week.
Muller (pictured with his dog Rosco), a landscape gardener and cancer survivor, has created a system of waterways on the land that has allowed wildlife to flourish. The four have been granted a brief stay of execution after the council agreed to hold talks with them, but they are still in “limbo”.
Ms Meyers added that they were “stressed” because they had nowhere else to go.
“Winter is approaching and we would like to reach an agreement with the city council that, given the circumstances, seems reasonable,” he said.
Muller, 51, a landscape gardener, originally bought the two-and-a-half-acre block of land at Campbells Creek, near Castlemaine, central Victoria, in 2020, with the intention of using it for camping.
But he moved into the site with Ms Meyer and her children after rent became unaffordable for them late last year.
The council has now claimed that issues with the site include bushfire risk, cultural sensitivities, environmental impact and the fact that it is in an agricultural area.
But, in an apparent last-minute setback, the council now appears to have granted a brief reprieve after an official visit on Friday.
Ms Meyers told Daily Mail Australia she felt a “strange sense of relief” at not having been kicked off the land even though they remain “stuck in a place of not knowing”.
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 ABC.
However, Ms Meyers said council workers were “brusque” and barely spoke to them on Friday’s visit as they took photographs around the property.
When he approached council workers, they simply handed him a sheet with a list of emergency accommodation and caravan park numbers.
“I read what Michael Annear had said about approaching us with compassion and that it would be a conversation about the options that exist,” Ms Meyers told Daily Mail Australia.
‘There was no conversation. No real options were presented.
‘The only thing we are presented with is becoming homeless because in caravan parks there is a limit of about 58 days and it is expensive. “That’s not a real option.”
However, the couple were ordered to destroy a small pond Muller had created on the property because there was no safety barrier around it (pictured).
Ms Meyers said they would be happy to put up a railing or fence, but the council 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.
“I find it ridiculous that they are considering throwing us out on the streets when we are in the middle of a housing crisis and there really is nowhere affordable for us,” Ms. Meyers said.
“We also understand there are a lot of constraints on the property and we would like to have a real conversation with council about them to see what we can do to make it work for everyone.”
Daily Mail Australia has approached Mount Alexander Shire Council for comment on the new developments.
While they were not evicted as initially feared, the couple was ordered to destroy a small pond Muller had created on the property because there was no safety barrier around it.
The friends argue that it’s not just a campsite: they have dry storage, a functional outdoor kitchen (pictured), solar power and waste containment systems.
Beck Meyers previously accused the council of showing “no compassion” after it decided to evict them from the site.
“It’s really disappointing because a lot has changed on the land since Nathaniel installed that water retention system,” Ms. Meyers added.
‘There are a lot more birds and frogs, the whole ecosystem has really flourished around that series of ponds.
‘Every stone has been placed there by hand and it is very artistic. “It just seems cruel to me not to explore options.”
Mrs Meyers said they would “gladly” put up a railing or fence, but the council demanded it be destroyed by Thursday.
‘I know there are a lot of safety issues that the council has talked about. We are aware of it,’ she added.
We’d love to talk through those issues and see if anything can be resolved, especially during the winter where there are so few fire risks.’
Art worker Ms Meyers, who also runs a Chai tea stall in local markets, homeschools her two children.
The property is a bush block and when Nathaniel bought it in 2020 it was sold as camping land.
But in September of last year, an ordinance was passed prohibiting camping on land where there are no homes.
She says they are “distressed” at the thought of leaving because it is a “place where they have a lot of freedom and peace in the bush.”
“They are thriving here because I have thrived,” Ms. Meyers added.
‘Before, when I was paying rent, I was stressed all the time because everything revolved around trying to pay rent.
‘There would be some days where I might skip a meal or two there. But we live a really good life here. It’s a simple life but we love it.’
Castlemaine center is just a 15 minute drive away and the children are close to their friends as they have lived in the area all their lives.
Almost 95 per cent of more than 1,300 Daily Mail Australia respondents to the issue said the council should allow Muller and Meyers to remain on their land.
The property is a bush block and when Nathaniel bought it in 2020 it was sold as camping land.
Muller has built a series of pools to allow a natural ecosystem to thrive on the property.
Meyers says her two home-schooled children are “distraught” at the thought of leaving because it’s a “place where they have a lot of freedom and peace in the bush.”
But in September of last year, an ordinance was passed prohibiting camping on land where there are no homes.
The friends argue that it’s not just a campsite: they have dry storage, a functional outdoor kitchen, solar power and waste containment systems.
“The land has flourished since Nathaniel created a system of canals that keep water on the property,” said a petition urging the council to allow them to remain in the states.
‘Birds abound, the frogs’ songs are deafening in summer and they are revegetating the land.
‘Nathaniel is recovering from cancer and PTSD, and healing the land has been a big part of his own recovery.
“The constant stress of trying to find suitable accommodation at a time when there are so few options has been taking its toll on their families.”
Annear previously said the council had spoken to the couple several times over the years.
He insisted the block was not suitable for living due to concerns including bushfire risk, cultural sensitivities, environmental impact and the fact it is in an agricultural area.
