21-05-2025
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.
