Free Camping

uncle wombat · Senior Member

Free Camping

justcruisin01 · Guru

uncle wombat wrote:
I watched the Project tonight about free camping and the Govt once again trying to raise revenue.

Yep, the used tax payers money to aquire these areas at a minimal price from crown land, farmers, forestry etc.

The state that parks are for the people, which people.? Now charge us to see our own country.

A typical government act.

JC.

uncle wombat · Senior Member

yep totally agree, we are trying to get our act together so we can see this wonderful country

Apprentice Nomad · Veteran Member

Well the project said at this stage, it was Victoria pushing for the move.
What a shame if it happens
They forget to mention or take in how much so called "Free Campers" spend in nearby country towns at the freecamps
Interesting topic

uncle wombat · Senior Member

Yea we are from Tassie and I know they are trying the same thing there

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

Hey are you MY uncle ? biggrin

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Dunno what he did to be your uncle wombat if he is, poor uncle wombat, I feel for him big time smile

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

Dougwe wrote:
Dunno what he did to be your uncle wombat if he is, poor uncle wombat, I feel for him big time

he may not be my uncle. biggrin

vickiwi · Member

It's done. Charges begin in Victoria,March 2014 and yes it is part of a national policy.

milo · Guru

_wombat_ wrote:
Dougwe wrote:
Dunno what he did to be your uncle wombat if he is, poor uncle wombat, I feel for him big time
he may not be my uncle.

I was wondering the same thing confuse

--

I saw the story, trouble with that and the now all hour news shows is they try to cram

too much in and don't give it enough time .. but any publicity to try and stop them from doing

this is good, but I don't know if it can be stopped?

Aus-Kiwi · Guru

It wont stop free camping.. People just wont go there or use them..
Like everything else !! Next they will be selling them off...
Sheesh !!

Big Gorilla · Guru

I watched it also. Nothing I haven't seen or heard before. I don't camp in State Forests or National Parks. I've never had any problem overnighting in a Woolworth's Car Park... biggrin biggrin biggrin

I've posted this Review of Camping in Tasmania a few times previously. Here it is again for those who aren't aware of it..

Old Crofter · Senior Member

More of the GREEN agenda by stealth,

Bob

uncle wombat · Senior Member

Hi All, yep its going to be interesting I know up here around Echuca some Caravan Park owners are against the grey nomads and free camping, we work for one at the moment, but not for much longer

uncle wombat · Senior Member

the owner here has a caravan park in Bright also and is on the Vic Parks committee who is trying to push the grey nomads out, they do not realise how much we can spend in a town.

Mr B2 · Senior Member

Bright ripped off every one at the Hot Rod annual Festival,

It has now moved to another town, and Bright misses out Totally now,

Greed Kills customers,

exa41 · Guru

hi , well they have lost Holden , ford and now Toyota , we paid our taxes all the years that we worked and now they want what we have left.Next we will be paying to use our highways.

justcruisin01 · Guru

Has any one looked at the charges in NSW, camping fees as well as vehicle entry fees @ $7 /per day , even if you dont turn a wheel its a bloody ripoff.

We need to pull together & give ALL the NP's & c/parks a big miss & let them all go broke.

Some time back the owner of the servo/caravan park at Gin Gin got on the council for the sheer purpose of closing the rest area just on the northern side of town.

Within twelve mths he had it reopened, to bloody dumb to realise just how much money the campers were spending at his servo /shop on papers, cigs, food, etc untill it was all gone. The word was out as to what he had done so all gave him the miss. They all need the same wake up call.

I dont like c/parks; the NP's area's can be very good but I detest their policies & over regulations so I dont go, I refuse to pay them to see our country & I'm glad we done a lot of travell years ago before all this crap.

JC

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

justcruisin01 wrote:
Has any one looked at the charges in NSW, camping fees as well as vehicle entry fees @ $7 /per day , even if you dont turn a wheel its a bloody ripoff.
We need to pull together & give ALL the NP's & c/parks a big miss & let them all go broke.
Some time back the owner of the servo/caravan park at Gin Gin got on the council for the sheer purpose of closing the rest area just on the northern side of town.
Within twelve mths he had it reopened, to bloody dumb to realise just how much money the campers were spending at his servo /shop on papers, cigs, food, etc untill it was all gone. The word was out as to what he had done so all gave him the miss. They all need the same wake up call.
I dont like c/parks; the NP's area's can be very good but I detest their policies & over regulations so I dont go, I refuse to pay them to see our country & I'm glad we done a lot of travell years ago before all this crap.
JC

well said JC.

another NP is Kakadu NP, if you live in the NT you pay nothing its only visitors to the state that have to pay $25 PP to get in, bloody disgusting IMHO we are all in the same country, I will not visit Kakadon't until they lift the entry fee again like they did in the past when they discovered people were no longer going there, and latest reports are that is happening again so maybe sometime in the future there will be no fee for any visitor including the people from overseas.

Sorry about my rant, but the NP's belong to the people of this country not government employee's.

uncle wombat · Senior Member

That I believe as the owner here was part of that and the stuff he brought back here unused was incredible, his park is the Bright Riverside Holiday Park

uncle wombat · Senior Member

Hi All, due to a workplace accident we are unable to leave here yet, but will still be looking at travelling to WA between April and May and would appreciate any travelling buddies, if anyone going across at that time, would be handy to get to know the free spots from other travellers

Thanks

Uncle Wombat

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

uncle wombat wrote:
Hi All, due to a workplace accident we are unable to leave here yet, but will still be looking at travelling to WA between April and May and would appreciate any travelling buddies, if anyone going across at that time, would be handy to get to know the free spots from other travellers

Thanks

Uncle Wombat

have you got Camps 7 book, most sites are in there

There is a group of the Greens Lake mob coming to WA sometime this year, try a PM to Jules47 or Happywanderer they are part of the group travelling in convoy I think.

-- Edited by _wombat_ on Wednesday 12th of February 2014 11:47:33 AM

uncle wombat · Senior Member

will do thanks

Recoup · Guru

Parks subject to proposed changes from 1 March 2014, I don't know if it is law yet, here are the proposed Vic. parks,

www.depi.vic.gov.au/forestry-and-land-use/visiting-parks-and-forests/national-parks-camping-and-accommodation-fees/parks-subject-to-proposed-changes-from-1-march-2014

Hans

uncle wombat · Senior Member

Wow are there any left that we can enjoy free

kiwijims · Guru

I've just had a look at the proposed changes for Vic parks,

sure looks like they have closed the door to free camping,

Well, there are some good roads that by-pass Victoria, we will be using them in future.

I see at the bottom of the proposal, there is a FEED BACK reply that can be used to tell them what we think of their "Money Grab"

I for one have sent them my thoughts and would love to see their web site swamped with replies by un-happy campers.

Would the last camper out, Please return the key to the P.M's office thanks. ( C.O.D. )

kiwijims

-- Edited by kiwijims on Thursday 13th of February 2014 09:10:54 AM

jules47 · The Happy Helper

kiwijims wrote:
I've just had a look at the proposed changes for Vic parks,
sure looks like they have closed the door to free camping,
Well, there are some good roads that by-pass Victoria, we will be using them in future.
I see at the bottom of the proposal, there is a FEED BACK reply that can be used to tell them what we think of their "Money Grab"
I for one have sent them my thoughts and would love to see their web site swamped with replies by un-happy campers.
Would the last camper out, Please return the key to the P.M's office thanks. ( C.O.D. )
kiwijims

-- Edited by kiwijims on Thursday 13th of February 2014 09:10:54 AM

Just looked also, and have left feedback. Have stayed at Wilson's Prom in the past, and paid, but the new costs are over the top! In the Grampians, camping used to be free - now they are charging - why? No facilities have changed in these areas, no new flash amenities blocks - so why?

Also camped at Hattah Lake in Hattah Kulkyne NP - used to be a beautiful area, free to camp, with pit toilet (and resident wolf spider) - now charging - and the lake is full of trees!!! Again - why?

Mt Buangor, and several others - have camped free there for years - now they want payment? Why? Staff salaries is about all I can think of!

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

i think they are following the Tassie option, ony option for us is to boycott Victoria, I will spend my money in other states, BUT if Vic gets away with this then other states will follow and the arse will fall out of the caravan industry IMHO.

native pepper · Senior Member

_wombat_ wrote:
i think they are following the Tassie option, ony option for us is to boycott Victoria, I will spend my money in other states, BUT if Vic gets away with this then other states will follow and the arse will fall out of the caravan industry IMHO.

Tas has had camping fees for national parks for many years, it has made no difference to free camping at all. In fact there are more and more free camping spots in Tas every year and lots more than anywhere else of the same area. If you want to stay in our parks a lot, you can get a yearly pass which is really cheap. That lets you stay as long and as many times as you like and the facilities get better each year.

The growing political trend is user pays, profit growth is the only mantra the current political system follows and they couldn't care less for the people, parks of facilities, it's all about profit growth. Once the political ideologues have sold off everything the people owned, like they have done with everything else. They will privatise the operation of national parks and the people will pay the cost of that, by subsidising the corporate world with our money so they can make more profits.

Just look at every service they have privatised, prices spiraling out of control and services diminishing. Doesn't matter which faction of the lib/lab party are in control, we get the same outcome from them all. Yet people actually vote for them, then complain of the worsening outcomes they get year after year.

We have never stayed in NP,s so it doesn't effect us, but we get what we vote for and I don't vote for any of them. They are already talking about making the Hume, Princes and other major intra and interstate highways toll roads and tendering it out. But the people will still pick up the bill for upgrades, maintenance and emergency services. Just as happens will all privatised roads and services, we pay and they take the profits.

-- Edited by native pepper on Thursday 13th of February 2014 10:48:56 AM

kiwijims · Guru

When we went across to Tassie, I purchased a 4 month pass for Nat Parks on the Spirit,

Never had call to use it because with the Camps book ( No 5 at the time ) we found that many Free camp sites,

I worked out later that using these free sites, we had saved more than $ 400.00 in C/P fees

some of the free sites we came across were brilliant with large shelters, free gas B.B.Q's and very clean toilet blocks,

in fact, we were amazed at one location, way up in the mountains, somewhere South of Queenstown, in the middle of no-where,

we were awoken very early in the morning by a Council worker scrubbing the S/Steel B.B.Q. top,

He did a brilliant job and was only too happy to stop for a chat, he said that he covered a couple of hundred km's every day just making sure everything was spotless for the traveller.

This we found was the general trend in Tassie and it sure made free camping a pleasure.

"Good On Ya Tassie" keep it up, You have our vote, hands down.

kiwijims