Mindful Earth sanctuary owner Boh Morel reveals personal cost of Shire of Augusta-Margaret River legal fight

The owner of a contentious community space in Karridale has revealed his legal stoush with the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River has cost him a lot more than just a hefty court fine. In a series of videos posted to social media, Mindful Earth sanctuary owner Boh Morel said the year-long battle with the shire had also split his relationship, with his partner Tara leaving rather than endure the legal fight with the shire, which culminated in a crippling $117,000 fine plus costs for breaching planning laws, as revealed in a court decision last month. The legal case reached its climax just a week after a 20-year-old French tourist suffered horrendous burns at the Karridale property on February 12. The backpacker, who had no travel insurance, was airlifted to Perth’s Fiona Stanley Hospital, where he remains on a ventilator and needing multiple surgeries to address burns to 90 per cent of his body. The injuries were suffered when the man poured ethanol-based hand sanitiser on a fire which had broken out in a paddock, mistaking the container for water. In the aftermath of the fire, Mr Morel said the sanctuary was closed to visitors, but he remained steadfast about his vision for a shared community space. He said the future of farming involved spaces where people could establish enterprises utilising the land and build community around that. And he said planning laws needed to adapt to that future rather than penalise early adopters. “That was my dream, and unfortunately the council wanted to put a stop to it straight away rather than understand the dream,” Mr Morel said. “This is how communities were in the past. They all worked together on farmland.” Rising fuel costs, global supply chain issues, people’s mental health and the cost of accommodation were all factors driving this movement, he said. “We are all so separated, and so there is something wrong with the system.” While Mr Morel was prosecuted for unapproved buildings, running the sanctuary as a de facto campground and hosting ticketed events, in his videos he criticised the shire’s prosecution because it didn’t address the initial concern about him hosting workers. He was first instructed to build official workers accommodation, which he could not afford. Mr Morel said his guests contributed to the farm and weren’t campers in the sense subject to rangers’ concerns. The sanctuary offered communal space, including the main house, though visitors often stayed in their vans. “It was all built with volunteers — the people staying with us offering to contribute,” he said. “It has been a magical journey with these people offering their skills.” He acknowledged that when the shire started paying attention to the sanctuary, following complaints from neighbours, the site was listed on Airbnb and had tents without camping ground approvals, and the house wasn’t approved as a dwelling. “The intention was always to get those approvals,” Mr Morel said. “At the time, we didn’t have the resources to get those approvals. The barn, it developed organically . . . It’s a magical space. There was always the intention to get those approvals.” A tight three-week deadline imposed by the shire for campers to quit the property left Mr Morel “very upset”. “It was an ultimatum . . . they didn’t try to negotiate with us,” he said. “The whole sanctuary has been built utilising volunteers and WWOOFers (WorldWide Opportunities on Organic Farms).” A shire spokesperson said the local government had no further comment to make after its successful prosecution. Worksafe was investigating the February fire incident.