Illegal to be within 3m of the fence?
 

I was approached by the AFP while taking some photos at the 25 fence this morning.
They claimed it was an offence to be within 3m of the fence, so I could stay at the other side of the road, but the grassy strip next to the fence was off limits.

They were quite friendly about it, and I wasn't going to make any protests about it but this was quite a surprise to me.
I thought that anywhere outside the fence, unless otherwise restricted, was OK, and that the 3m limit really applied to using ladders.

Any comments?

Erik I think they missunderstood their own instructions from their boss. If this was the rule, nobody would be aloud at the fence at the beach at all. The three metre rule on applies for ladders. Heaps of people, myself included take photos through the fence near the GA without ladders with no problem. Sounds like you just had bad luck:p

I got told a while back by the AFP guys that the rule was 3m behind the fence for ladders and stools (including milk-crates), and for people just standing up, the rule was at least 30cm (i.e. you cannot stick the lens of the camera through the holes in the fence nor can you let you camera or any part of your body touch the fence).

Agreeing with those above that this rule would mean the fenceline near the beach impossible to spot from!

I do remember when VH-OQA was on her first arrival at Sydney in '08 a backpacker, making their way from Domestic to International by foot had stopped to see what all the fuss was about. All of the 'regular's were on the footpath side of Qantas Dr while the backpacker was by the fence.

Soon enough the AFP and Police turned up and relocated them to the path. This was after the new 'black' fencing had been installed, so I wasn't sure what the problem was of the backpacker being there - but there was obviously a reason - and it took a while to move him over so I'm not sure if they argued the point?

Dan

Would it not have been quicker to just drop them off at T1?

You'd have thought so! I don't know what was going on - but the Police were there with the traveller for a long time.

Dan

As Tim said Erik you must of got a newby an officer who hasn't been around for long, we've taken photos there all the time as AFP have driven past even and they haven't even stopped. The only time I was told to get over the other side of the road is when a TU-154 of the Bulgarian goverment was in town a couple years back...

You want to stand near the fence at YMML. AFP pop from man holes, high grass like theres at Bat cave around!

They ask to see my drivers license when the Feds catch me spotting by the fence here in Cairns. I just tell them I am here to watch a few planes. But they don't really mind and never asked me to go away they know my car rego and know its me so they know they have no problem.

I guess the main reason to keep people away from that part of the fence is that is only a narrow strip of grass in a high traffic area and they are just trying to keep the area under control to stop people getting knocked **** over head, or have large groups of people congregating on the side of the road.