NSW national parks proposal to standardise camping fees amid rise in 'ghost camping'

Australia Broadcast Center

14-05-2025

David Bell thinks it is a "good thing" for people to spend time bushwalking, but he fears a proposal to overhaul camping fees in national parks in New South Wales — some by as much as 600 per cent — will put it out of reach of many.
A camping trip is sometimes the only affordable escape for those on a tight budget, but Mr Bell, who is president of Bushwalking NSW, said a proposal to "standardise" the cost system in National Parks and Wildlife Service's (NPWS) 365 campgrounds was "excessive".
"National parks [are] special places," he said.
A consultation paper released last month outlines the first "significant" change to the NPWS fee system since 2017.
The proposal would see campgrounds priced according to a tiered system, which would see some prices increase — notably during peak seasons.
In the NSW Snowy Mountains, the Thredbo Diggings campground would see its current $6 booking fee increase to a peak season charge of $36 a night.
"We're broadly supportive; the tier structure makes it a bit more clear what you're paying for and what you're getting," Mr Bell said.
However, Mr Bell said some of the prices seemed "rather excessive".
Mr Bell said it was also unreasonable that NPWS classified "multi-day" hike camping spots as tier-four sites.
"Like the Great North Walk between Sydney and Newcastle. There are sites that have toilets and water, but there are other sites that are just a space on the ground," he said.
"I don't think it's feasible to charge all of these sites at the same tier level.
"There's a bit of inconsistency there that NPWS needs to address."
The "Have Your Say" webpage for the proposal states the changes aim to bring consistency to fees, simplify bookings to deliver "fairer" camping experiences for visitors, and improve management of "persistent campground issues such as people booking space and not cancelling or turning up" — known as ghost camping.
The term also refers to people booking more sites than they need.
"The best way to tackle it is to have reasonable fees for going camping so that people think twice about booking too much," NPWS director of visitor engagement and revenue Georgia Rivers said.
Under the proposed system, people will also be able to receive refunds up to 80 per cent if they cancel their booking in advance.
Adventurer and author Mike Atkinson raised concerns about the "high" fees during the cost-of-living crisis.
"All you need is a very simple place to camp and — for everybody's sakes — access to a pit toilet. That should be a very small cost," he said.
Mr Atkinson suggested a better solution would be to increase the number of campsites to meet demand.
"You've got to build the infrastructure so it's not crowded out," he said.
"But the [NPWS] are running it like a business: 'We won't improve what we've got; we'll just charge more for it.'"
NPWS said it would reinvest revenue from campsite charges back into national parks.
Public consultation on the new fee plan will close May 25.