A man who was convicted for illegally camping on his own land in outback Western Australia is still living in his caravan and says the only way he will leave is if he is dead.

The tense stand-off between Roland Gopel — dubbed "WA's Darryl Kerrigan" — and his local council is in its third year.



Mr Gopel has been living on the outskirts of the historic gold mining town of Menzies, 700 kilometres north-east of Perth, since he paid $4,500 for a block of land in 2015.



The Shire of Menzies has taken him to court twice for breaching the Caravan Parks and Camping Grounds Act, while fining him $50 for every day he has lived in the caravan from August 1.



The 58-year-old was convicted in the Leonora Magistrate's Court last month and fined $4,000 — a penalty Mr Gopel refuses to pay because he believes nobody has the right to tell him what he can do on his property.



Shire hopes arbiter can resolve long-running dispute



The Shire of Menzies plans to bring in an independent arbiter in a bid to resolve the situation, but Mr Gopel told the ABC he was digging in.



"I'm living on my land, which is the only place I have to live," he said.



"The only way I'll leave here is in a coffin … they will carry me out of here in a wooden box.

Roland Gopel outside the Leonora Magistrate's Court after being convicted of illegal camping. ( ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Jarrod Lucas )

"I find it completely and utterly outrageous that something that was perfectly legal for our forefathers is now illegal for us.



"How can that be at the stroke of a pen … that sounds like capricious government."



Caravan fitted with solar panels and satellite dish



With only the flies for company, Mr Gopel lives on a hill overlooking the Menzies townsite without toilet or sewerage facilities, periodically emptying a bucket at the local caravan park.



The self-confessed introvert has his own rainwater tank for drinking and showering, solar panels connected to 12 batteries for electricity, as well as a satellite dish for internet.

Roland Gopel has set up his own self-contained solar power system at his caravan on the outskirts of Menzies. ( ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Jarrod Lucas )

Mr Gopel has also installed a new wind turbine to boost his power supply, so next summer he may be able to run air conditioning to escape the scorching temperatures.



But it is the council's view that his dilapidated property is a health risk, and argued in court it had received complaints from Menzies residents.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 40 seconds 1 m 40 s Man fined for living on his own property ( ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas )

Council between a 'rock and a hard place'



Shire of Menzies president Greg Dwyer told the ABC the council was "between a rock and a hard place" because it was required to enforce local government regulations, but he declined to comment further.

Shire of Menzies president Greg Dwyer says the council is required to enforce local government regulations. ( Supplied: Shire of Menzies )



Councillors voted at their most recent meeting to bring in a mutually agreed independent arbiter to enter discussions with Mr Gopel, Mr Dwyer and the shire's chief executive Rhonda Evans.

Mr Gopel said he would be willing to sit down with the council, but he was remaining steadfast in his position.



"An arbiter usually means that it's somebody who arbitrarily makes a decision one way or the other and all parties have to stick to that," he said.



"Well, I don't know what there is to discuss — I'm going to live here regardless.



"How about leaving me in peace?"



Police advice sought over threats during ongoing feud



The status quo looks unlikely to change anytime soon, and while Mr Gopel was convicted at trial, the court of public opinion seems to be on his side.



More than 2,100 people have signed an online petition to stop Mr Gopel from being evicted.



The Shire of Menzies was also forced to seek advice from police after receiving threatening emails and telephone calls after the ABC broke the story last year.

The makeshift clothes line set up by Roland Gopel on his property near Menzies. ( ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Jarrod Lucas )

Council does not want man kicked off his property



During the trial, lawyers for the council stated it was never the shire's intention to evict Mr Gopel, but rather to bring the property up to code.



Mr Gopel is not so sure, describing his relationship with the council as a "de facto civil war".



"I've had lots of offers from people to put me up if the worst comes to the worst, but how bad can it get?" he said



"I mean what are they going to do — evict me at gunpoint? Even if that were to happen, what does that say about Australia?"



Menzies is 700km north-east of Perth. ( ABC Goldfields-Esperance: Jarrod Lucas )

The council's environmental officer David Hadden has carried out one inspection since the trial, having told the court he had done at least a dozen inspections over a two-year period.