free camping

fredcam · Veteran Member

free camping

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Sounds more like "Alternative" camping to me Fred. "Free" is no cost to camp but I'm sure you know that and was telling us with tongue in cheek biggrin

Big Gorilla · Guru

I stayed along that beach 2 years ago. There were numerous camping grounds all free !! Are you saying now you have to pay ? I'd like confirmation of that if possible as I was planning to spend a week or two there next March.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

These fee increases, from 01 July 2014, have been shared on the forum previously.

This is info for Gippsland Lakes Coastal Park.

This site will give detail ...

http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/visit/book-your-stay/changes-to-camping-and-accommodation-fees

For detailed info, click on Camping and accommodation fee schedule 2014-15

This is the info for Paradise Beach in particular contained in that file ...

Paradise 03.jpg

Cheers - John

Fastcoach · Senior Member

The Victorian State Government who are the custodians of the State Parks decided earlier this year that they weren't getting enough revenue in from the parks they controlled. Then in their infinite wisdom, rather than gradually increase the fees charged for camping in their parks, they raised the tariff through the roof, which will have the effect of turning would be campers away in droves.

We will be visiting the Sth.West of Victoria over the coming couple of weeks and we looked at staying at a spot called Swan Lake near Portland for a few days. It's part of the Mt.Richmond National Park and the fee there is the same, $34 per night. But wait there's more!! You have to book your site via the internet and pay for it in advance. If for any reason you need to cancel your booking, you must give them at least 30 days notice or you lose all money paid.

For a start, who wants to book in advance anytime, let alone off peak time? The park itself is down a VERY steep dirt road suitable only for good 4x4 vehicles towing small trailers and a pit toilet is the sum total of the facilities offered. Really, are they serious!!! Needless to say we won't be staying at Swan Lake or any of the other absurdly priced State Parks in Victoria for that matter.

We believe that there is a much more sinister motive behind the governments move to effectively put State Parks out of bounds for most campers. We have noticed in our travels that most of their parks are almost empty since the change. The boffins who control the purse strings in Spring Street will soon find that rather than increasing the revenue raised from their parks, there will be a significant decrease. With so few people using the parks it will give the government the green light to privatise many of them, along similar lines to the Point Nepean Park in Portsea.

There's a State election coming up in Victoria next month and it's tipped to be a close run thing. If you feel as we do, that you should be entitled to use OUR parks for a reasonable fee, then ask your local representative how they feel about this new impost and vote accordingly.

Bruce and Bev · Guru

C'mon all you VIC people - tell your local pollie that this is a rip-off!!

Many of the fees are far higher than a private caravan park which includes a bouncy, bloody castle.

If their intentions are sinister and they want to keep people out and then privatize it - do something about it with your local pollie - he/she is only an email away

Quanger · Veteran Member

Fraser national park at Eildon Lakeside campground is ridiculous, last year was $27.50 / site / night now it's $48.50 / site / night, hot showers & toilets but NO power & you have to hire 1 of their stupid fire drums if you want to have a fire, that's another $25 & comes with a small bag of wet / green wood, beautiful place run by a pack of idiots. (The Gov't)

03_troopy · Guru

The meaning of the term free camping has changed from what it used to be. It used to mean camping away from civilisation and the facilities that would be provided ie. camping out in the bush somewhere, free from the constraints of camping areas and caravan parks. Now people associate the term with it not costing you anything, as in squatting on the side of the road.

marinepics · Veteran Member

No wonder people are freecamping in city streets....watch the rise and rise of the "stealth" people !!!

Fastcoach · Senior Member

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that free camping isn't necessarily FREE. I have no great objection to paying a small fee, say $10 a night for a cleared area with a pit toilet. But paying the equivalent of a full facility caravan park fee for such a site is just absurd.

Other than taking your chances with the rangers and just turning up at these places "managed" by Vic Parks, a bit of civil disobedience if you like, the only other sensible alternative is to boycott them altogether. From what we've noticed in our travels since the changes, most people are doing the latter.

If it's possible for SA Parks to offer a two month pass to camp in various parks in that State for the princely sum of $72, why has Victoria got to charge these obscene amounts? National Parks are a great part of our heritage, not some revenue stream for greedy governments to use to try and balance the books.

beiffe · Guru

It is not only the Parks that are losing money it is the small towns near that will see the drop in visiting numbers but then today's mentality is think only of ones self so perhaps they don''t care and I also believe they want everyone out but that is only so they do less work.

Watch the screams when the Gov finds out they don't need all these rangers etc because there is no one stopping and no work to be done. LOL

Only been in one national park with 6 years on the road and it was a dump so crossed them off my list.

I prefer to be out bush near a creek or dam and way off the road.

Regards
Brian

Loki · Senior Member

The Northern Territory have a great National Park system, with good facilities, reasonable fees and volunteer campground hosts - usually Grey Nomads who fulfill this important role as it provides a free campsite - and some brilliant National Parks as well. A great model for other States to consider.

exa41 · Guru

Well we all know how anal the commonwealth government is and the Victorian government don't want to miss out , The Vict gov have just spent $ 3.2 Million putting Armco and those stupid wire rope barriers from Launching place to Warburton if anyone knows the area , you know the ones that kill bikies and destroy cars ( I guess you are not supposed to hit them ) but the damn roads are bloody disgusting and are a nightmare to drive on . I know that vic roads have had there funding cut but fair, go get the roads right first, I guess I got off the topic a little but you know what I mean , if you charge exorbitant prices for national parks ,result no visitors , bingo don't have to maintain the parks as often and save more money, Win Win ,

Big Gorilla · Guru

I sent this e-mail to Parks Victoria this morning:

I understand there is now a camping fee being imposed on dozens of camping spots along the coast from Paradise Beach thru Golden, Flamingo, Glomar beaches to Seaspray. No more free camping. Is that correct ?

This is the reply:

Thanks for your enquiry.

It is the case that fees have either been increased or in some cases introduced in the Gippsland Lakes area.

The funds raised with the new fees are designed to assist with the upkeep of the campgrounds.

Some people have expressed concern with regards to the new fee structure, and in such cases, we encourage people to send an email to camping@parks.vic.gov.au outlining your concerns.

Fastcoach · Senior Member

Thankyou Big Gorilla for that information and as soon as I finish this post, I'll be sending Parks Vic my thoughts on the subject.

The only possible way that this woeful decision can be turned around is if like minded people make some noise before the situation becomes locked in and everyone just learns to accept it.

IF you really care about this, please do as Big Gorilla did and let them know how outraged you are.

fredcam · Veteran Member

yes ken he went there and they said it will be $34 a caravan per night to stay ay paradise beach so he went to golden beach and payed $11 a caravan a night they putting sign up

wandwill · Veteran Member

My husband and approx 30-40 men have been going to Paradise Beach for 30 odd years, on fishing trip. Not many fish were caught, but now the price is put on this part of the world, they have not only lost all of these men, but others that have had this relayed to. Greed is a bad thing, the shop owners are the losers as well. If you camp at Golden Beach, you can use the showers for $2.00, hot water.