I would think that's fair and would allow them to control the numbers camping at any time ,And allow some fund to maintain the facilities which will be good for all of us it called user pays .

Don't mind the fee bit so long as it goes to providing and maintaining facilities, but it won't ,it hasn't in other areas with similar fee structures , may get another accountant or chairborne position appointed at the Council HQ.

Bruce and Bev wrote:

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what facilities do they provide?????

For $10 pn I would expect toilets, water and rubbish bins........

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"Yep" I would expect something for my money, but I suppose they have to have time to rake in the coffers first, I bet there is no set date anytime in the next few years to give anything back to the traveller, just another money grab by another Council who don't care about the travelling public or how it will effect the local business, when people will continue on to other free campsites, It's happened here in the West with sign posts sticking out everywhere stating ,,,, stop here and you will be $5000 worse off, drive on and fall asleep behind the wheel, we don't care !!

K.J.    

We are paying $10/day at Torbanlea (Qld) race course for flush toilets & hot showers. Alice

Most Rest area on the open road are free ,The one the local council are charging for are the ones in little townships , If you look up the Hervey Bay council website you can see the camp site and what is on offer ,Tiaro camp site includes a shower . I have been past these camp many time have not had the need to stop there and don't like stoping in little Village over night .

I think too many people expect everyone to pay for their travels.

Do you really think these "Free Campsites" just drop from the sky or has someone else paid for these sites to be provided, get real and don't be lousy

The one thing that worries me about this if they spend the money to upgrade the facilities what will they ask us to pay then? I don't mind paying something for the toilets to be cleaned etc but shower I don't need.

Lynda

That's a bit rough Brisand, your obviously offended easily there was nothing said to warrant that response!

Kev

Kev, sometimes the truth hurts, but what is wrong with what I said, what Felicia said really was nit picking, willing to pay for somethings and not others, surely a small fee for what is provided is not asking too much.

Gday...

 It is an interesting contrast ... some of the posts on this thread and the posts on the thread Donation Camping 

I guess if a municipality seeks donations then that is quite acceptable - although anecdotal evidence suggests very few actually leave a donation - but imposing a set fee raises the ire of travellers.

The avoidance of requests for donations is fine ... but the seeking of an actual fee is just a 'rip off by a Council'.

Perhaps the travelling public will one day understand that there is no such thing as a free lunch - SOMEONE has had to pay - or must ultimately pay. This is particularly so if travellers wish to sleep overnight (or longer) near major highways/towns/villages rather than away from towns at designated actual camping grounds/areas.

[edit: I actually only posted the news article to advise forum members of a change in status of some popular (previously) 'free' camps. I didn't post it to generate a debate on the merits or otherwise of that decision by the Councils ]

Cheers - let's just enjoy the travelling - John

-- Edited by rockylizard on Sunday 6th of December 2015 07:36:35 PM

Jamjar - that's bloody cheap for a Sydney CP - is it a dump full of feral permanents??

I don't have a problem paying a fee, so long as a service is provided - like clean toilets and water (showers for $10 a night might be pushing it unless its cold water). A lot has been said recently (and not so recently) about nomads buying locally). If only 30% of nomads buy goods like fuel, food, meals etc then the township is that much better off. The shops stay open and the locals have a retail service as well as providing local employment. Most nomads top up fuel in many of these towns, even if they buy nothing else.

But like Alice says, theres a heap of show grounds that charge $10-15 a night for clean flush toilets, hot showers, power and water to each site. They wouldn't be doing this if they weren't making a profit as they usually have a caretaker there as well who they either pay or provide free power/water etc.

Its interesting that many smaller councils and shires attitudes are down to one person. We are currently at Brookton which is a small country town in the wheat belt of WA. It has a council CP but it has no dump point or kitchen (even though quite a few tenters stay there). This was down to the previous CEO. The new CEO has only been in the job for two weeks and has already organized a dump point, kitchen and a 48 hour free camp site.

And Jim - I will show you some decent cheap wine and better fish in WA than we got offered in VIC and NSW this year........but it will cost us more than $10 !!! hahaha

Bruce and Bev wrote:

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Jamjar - that's bloody cheap for a Sydney CP - is it a dump full of feral permanents??

I don't have a problem paying a fee, so long as a service is provided - like clean toilets and water (showers for $10 a night might be pushing it unless its cold water). A lot has been said recently (and not so recently) about nomads buying locally). If only 30% of nomads buy goods like fuel, food, meals etc then the township is that much better off. The shops stay open and the locals have a retail service as well as providing local employment. Most nomads top up fuel in many of these towns, even if they buy nothing else.

But like Alice says, theres a heap of show grounds that charge $10-15 a night for clean flush toilets, hot showers, power and water to each site. They wouldn't be doing this if they weren't making a profit as they usually have a caretaker there as well who they either pay or provide free power/water etc.

Its interesting that many smaller councils and shires attitudes are down to one person. We are currently at Brookton which is a small country town in the wheat belt of WA. It has a council CP but it has no dump point or kitchen (even though quite a few tenters stay there). This was down to the previous CEO. The new CEO has only been in the job for two weeks and has already organized a dump point, kitchen and a 48 hour free camp site.

And Jim - I will show you some decent cheap wine and better fish in WA than we got offered in VIC and NSW this year........but it will cost us more than $10 !!! hahaha

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 Bruce, it's the Poplar Caravan Park, Camden. It's quiet, clean and friendly. 

When you go to a showground, do you call ahead, or is there always someone onsite. I was thinking of staying at Parkes on the way home. 

Free camps are FREE, low cost camps cost around $5-$10 per night. How come low cost camps that charge fees are being called free camps? Oh! We know why! Lots of people make them free camps by not paying the ''donation''. That's our observations.

On threads like this one it is easy to pick some people that never go near a donation ( honesty ) box.