Tassie free camping or soon to be lack of free camping

Chris61 · Senior Member

Tassie free camping or soon to be lack of free camping

Landfall · Guru

Well said Ian.

Living in Tasmania I can tell you that there are an abundance of "free" or low cost camp sites. Locals with a community spirit are opening places and charges vary between $5>$8 per night for good sites with clean facilities.

Small businesses look at tourists as a way of placing cream on the top of there operations and welcome visitors.

When visiting Tasmania remember a journey of 100kms is a long trip here, it's not like the mainland where you travel hour after hour between towns and places of interest.

The Belmont Bear · Guru

We will be boarding the SOT tonight taking only our smaller car over with us, we left the van and the bigger Jeep at home. The savings we will make on fuel, the ferry and self catering meals by utilising caravan park cabins will go a long way towards subsidising the cost of getting over there. Free camps are not the only way you can economise when travelling around Tassie. Having said that I can see both sides of the argument I believe that free or low cost camps should be available outside of towns even if as a rate payer I am helping to cover the cost to maintain them. At the same time I think that its unfair for free or low cost camps to be set up in towns in opposition to CPs if they dont have to abide by the same rules and regulations. I am not against anything that makes it more affordable for people to travel around this great country just as long as its fair for all players.

Cheers
BB

CampOvenCook · Newbie

Chris61 wrote:
Thought you would be happy to know, The Tasmanian Treasurer put this out today

13 February 2019

Peter Gutwein, Treasurer
Tasmania is open for business
There is no better place that caters for the free and low cost camping market.

Importantly, visitors and locals alike continue to enjoy camping, and no camping sites have closed, or are flagged to close.

There has been a review into the practical application of the policy in relation to council-owned camping facilities and the outcome will provide greater clarity and certainty for all stakeholders.

Following consultation with councils, private operators, and RV users, it was found the previous policy needed clarification as well as simplification and that is exactly what has been achieved.

In most circumstances, there is likely to be no change at all, which enables free and low cost camping to occur and councils can now be exempted from the rules that apply if it is in the public benefit to offer free or low cost camping.

The new policy statement is available on the Department of Treasury and Finance website.

The Department is also available to support councils and government agencies with the process.

Chris, it seems no one is interested in hearing the truth on any of the forums around the place. The keyboard cowboys have more fun tearing things apart and being negative ;)

Goldman · Member

Lets wait an see how this policy is implemented, lets see whether the free camps reopen at Deloraine for instance, my bet is that they may change to low cost? just because the council just wont want to jump through the hoops to reestablish the camps as free

Eaglemax · Guru

CampOvenCook wrote:
Chris61 wrote:
Thought you would be happy to know, The Tasmanian Treasurer put this out today

13 February 2019

Peter Gutwein, Treasurer
Tasmania is open for business
There is no better place that caters for the free and low cost camping market.

Importantly, visitors and locals alike continue to enjoy camping, and no camping sites have closed, or are flagged to close.

There has been a review into the practical application of the policy in relation to council-owned camping facilities and the outcome will provide greater clarity and certainty for all stakeholders.

Following consultation with councils, private operators, and RV users, it was found the previous policy needed clarification as well as simplification and that is exactly what has been achieved.

In most circumstances, there is likely to be no change at all, which enables free and low cost camping to occur and councils can now be exempted from the rules that apply if it is in the public benefit to offer free or low cost camping.

The new policy statement is available on the Department of Treasury and Finance website.

The Department is also available to support councils and government agencies with the process.
Chris, it seems no one is interested in hearing the truth on any of the forums around the place. The keyboard cowboys have more fun tearing things apart and being negative ;)

Not a very nice comment there grumpy

dieseltojo · Senior Member

rockylizard wrote:
It is more than just regarding 'free camping' and any 'impact it may have on caravan parks' - it means that ALL businesses are to not undermine other businesses by not adhering to the same rules and regulations for the provision of that service - eg gaining a commercial advantage through failure to comply..
Cheers - John
Just on this point....and not disagreeing at all...."Gaining a commercial advantage through failure to comply."
Interestingly they are called caravan parks aren't they. Yet at times you can't park your van, cos the have built half the park into cheap crane dropped in cabins.No permit problem no land to acquire, as they already own it. Money, money, money, and that is the interest. A few bob cheaper and the cut out the motels.
So are these anti competitive laws going to force the caravan parks to be caravan parks. Are the motel owners all going to finally get some redress.
I mean how can bricks and mortar compete with essentially a shanty town of cheap cabins.

I can tell you how it works. The van park owners get on the town committee and force their presence and make the regulations. That is how it works and always has. As others have written, just comply don't get upset. Visit the places you want too and take in the sights. I mean going to Tassi is a great trip. Don't let money be the guiding principal.
No point going to the USA and the complaining abut the cost of a hot dog.

-- Edited by rockylizard on Tuesday 12th of February 2019 07:49:38 PM

montie · Guru

Rural areas will probably not be affected by the changes at this stage.
Any camping area, free or otherwise, that falls within the urban town plan will be required to comply with all regulations pertaining to that activity regardless if it's operated by local authority or private enterprise.

Most rural areas are not affected by Town Planning laws and as such the regulations are more relaxed.The threat to rural free or low cost camping will come from the abuse of the facilities going forward and that is where the thrust of any action needs to be directed now.

IMO, the days of free camping in urban areas is over.

-- Edited by montie on Sunday 17th of February 2019 07:26:41 AM