Latest news with #freeCamping
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Ghost bookings scuttle state's free camping initiative: 'It's been a disaster'
It was billed as a cost-of-living measure aimed at making holidaying domestically more affordable for Aussie families, but free camping in Victoria will not be renewed in July after the initiative was found to be of "no benefit" to regional communities and the local tourism economy. Originally announced in October 2024, the state government scheme made camping free at all sites across Victoria. However it's since been plagued by issues, namely ghosting camping — a growing issue reported at campgrounds across the country — and by complaints of illegal rubbish dumping. Nationals member for eastern Victoria, Melina Bath, whose electorate includes national park land has even branded the free camping initiative "systematically flawed" and said it "had been a disaster on a number of levels". Meanwhile national parks authorities have backed the end of free camping and endorsed a move towards a 50 per cent reduction in booking fees. A camper who attended the Jamieson Creek Campground along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria in April said he was shocked to find it totally vacant, despite claiming it was fully booked on the Parks Victoria online booking system. "It was really strange as I was expecting it to be full... the only resident there was a wallaby in a fire pit eating someone's leftovers," camper Ross Edwards told Yahoo News Australia. Industry experts say the main problem with the program is the fact it was rolled out without any enforcement. Aussie couple Michelle and her husband Heatley, who own a free camping guide app, criticised the lack of management involved in the free camping policy. "If you're going to introduce a new policy, then you need to manage it. They can't just put their hands up without an answer [to ghost booking] and say it's not their responsibility," they told Yahoo recently. "There needs to be boots on the ground to have it managed effectively and address ghost bookings. Otherwise, they aren't achieving the desired outcome at all." Free camping offer to millions of Aussies savaged Couple blast 'selfish' act creating major camping issue Illegal campers warned of $62,000 fines after highway find Caravan and Residential Parks Victoria chief executive Scott Parker agrees, saying the unfortunate outcome over the summer months was foreseeable. "And it was clearly communicated by the association to the government during the policy's implementation," he said. "It was contrary to the principles of the government's own competitive neutrality policy," he told the ABC this week as the state government announced the policy would not continue. Victorian National Parks Association executive director Matt Ruchel also told the national broadcaster that the free camping initiative had created problems for the local industry. "The fact that people are paying a fee means that they're more likely to turn up," he said. In this week's budget, the Victorian government announced the reinstatement of half-price camping at Parks Victoria's 131 paid, government-run campgrounds, running from July through until June 2027. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
ABC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Free camping to end in Victoria after ghost bookings and rubbish dumping
A free camping program in Victoria plagued by ghost bookings and rubbish dumping has been abandoned by the state government. In yesterday's budget the government outlined a return to a half-price camping structure at Parks Victoria's 131 paid, government-run campgrounds from July to June 2027. The free camping idea introduced in October 2024 was dogged by problems, including rubbish dumping and no-shows at campsites fully booked online. Caravan and Residential Parks Victoria chief executive Scott Parker said free camping was "a poorly considered initiative" that disadvantaged private caravan park owners. "Ghost camping was an outcome that was foreseen and clearly communicated by the association to government during the policy's implementation. "It was contrary to the principles of the government's own competitive neutrality policy." Mr Parker said better options were suggested to the government at the outset. "Providing campers in private caravan parks with a voucher equivalent to the discounts offered at unregulated government campgrounds would have delivered more choice for Victorians, stronger support for small business operators, grown regional tourism and avoided the inefficiencies of a poorly managed free booking system," he said. Victorian National Parks Association executive director Matt Ruchel admitted the free camping initiative had created problems for small communities, but said moving to a 50 per cent reduction in booking fees could be a good compromise. Mr Ruchel said the amount of revenue Parks Victoria generated from camping fees was a small proportion of their overall budget. "You need to have hundreds of thousands of visitors … to certain places to generate income, which is not always what the environment needs, so you need the state to be funding … the park management agency," he said. Nationals member for eastern Victoria Melina Bath, whose electorate includes the Wilsons Promontory National Park, said the free camping initiative was "systematically flawed" and damaged the regional tourism economy. Ms Bath said frustrated campers contacted her saying sites would often be 100 per cent booked online, only to have about 50 per cent of campers turning up. "That does not support local business in our towns, or even the facilities," she said. "You've got local towns who've had a drop in patronage, a drop in sales." Free camping will end at government-run sites from July 1. Half-price campsite bookings will be staggered due to high demand at some locations, such as Tidal River at Wilsons Promontory.
