The ongoing debate over the future of free camping in Tasmania is continuing to polarise opinion on the Apple Isle.
The recent ruling by the Department of Treasury and Finance that all councils must limit their public, non-powered campsites to no more than 10% of all camping offerings within a 60-kilometre radius, has simply added fuel to the fire.
When asked about the issue by Tasmania’s Mercury newspaper, grey nomads Peter Llewellyn and Charon Neish said that if they were expected to pay to stay in Tasmania then they might never return with their caravan.
Well, according to Mercury columnist Charles Wooley, this honest response has stirred up a hornet’s nest.
While writing in his opinion pieces that Peter and Charon probably didn’t intend to sound arrogant and entitled, Mr Wooley asked:
“Would it be too unkind to say that might not be quite the right kind of tourist we want to attract to our state?”
He said that while the carefree gypsy life sounded wonderful, it was actually local ratepayers who paid for facilities at free campsites.
“Perhaps it would be better if they did stay away and made room for those who appreciate the joint enough to be prepared to pay for it,” Mr Wooley wrote. “A lot of budget travellers are on our roads for months at a stretch and assume that purchasing their fuel and groceries should pay their way. We should be pathetically grateful?”
In the column, he concedes that enjoying staying for nothing is hardly the tourists’ fault as if you offer people something for nothing they will always come to consider it a right.
“Meanwhile, visitors who resent paying anything much at all for a Tasmanian stay might still flock to the Bracknell River Reserve, in the north of the state, where the local council has settled on a $3 dollar a night fee to get around the competition laws,” Mr Wooley wrote.
“The simple economic theory is that the tourists will spend up big at the shop and on eating at the local hotel.”
However, the column ends on a distinctly hostile note.
“I fished there as a kid and imagine that a tight-wad visitor who wants the full gypsy experience could always poach a trout (take that as you will) and thus avoid having to pay for fish and chips at the pub,” he wrote. “More likely though, along with their booze, they brought with them frozen fish and chips purchased even before they got on the ferry.”
Welcome to Tasmania!
Does this out of touch journalist own a caravan, and is he qualified to comment on this? We recently did a trip to Tassie with another couple and know lots of other people doing or were contemplating this trip.
As far as being tight – Ferry costs $2,000
Food on ferry, fuel and Park passes on arrival, fees for tourist attractions at every town, souvenirs, food at all towns, the list goes on!!! We were contemplating a return trip for a longer period, but are definitely rethinking while these narrow minded, misinformed twits are messing around with a good formula.
Get this journalist to stand at the ferry and count the number of caravans disembarking and bringing no money into the Island!! We do not want to pay over the top camping fees , but
Have paid are are willing to pay in areas where necessary.
There are more and more low cost or free camps openg up on the mainland as small towns see the benefits.
Cheers.
Charles Woodley can stay in Tas.
Keep your silly comments down there.
Some visitor dollars are better than no dollars.
Little would he know the caravaning community is a mobile economy in it.s own right. They spend many many $$$$ and really boost many towns and communities.
And what about the Many Tasmanians that come to the Mainland and stay here for many months and enjoy the cheap and cheerful camps that abound inland for them to use. In my book they are welcome but in his book they should pay?????
9 weeks in Tassie in 2016. Total spend , just under $10,000. of which 95% was free or low cost sites, loved the island & making plans to return. Watching with interest the ” must use CPs “as that will determine wether or not we re-visit. We find CPs too crowded & we do not require their ammenities & frills.
I agree with you Peter. Only about 2 weeks ago I was talking to Travel With a Cause to book to Tassie, that’s on hold now and I’m sure many people are doing the same thing. Hell we use to live there so know the place well but still want to holiday down there. I want to free camp but I’m happy to pay for cheap camps I just don’t want to go to caravan parks, to cramped, to noisy.
Its simple. If the Tassys don,t want us, we won,t come… We will spend our money somewhere else, and tell others not to go.
Leave free camps alone. We spend money in these towns . $500 a week
Here go the tight ***** Grey Nomads whinging again about paying for something. Stop expecting everything for nothing – because by paying your way, you keep people employed, keep services operating & businesses open. Wake up to yourself, pay your way.
Cleary Jed you have no idea how much $$$ grey nomads spend.
The absolutely boost many a towns economy.
I know exactly what they pay – I am of that age group, travel in a caravan but don’t call myself a Grey Nomad because of the whinging tight ar**e tag they have earnt themselves. You can pick them out easily -“i want my seniors discount” – “I’ve paid my taxes all my life”- “the Government should do more for me” – it just goes on & on.
How do we join your religion of absolute fairyland nonsense?
I think most people would have trouble listening to Jed telling them how great he is.
I’ve recently returned from Tassie. Kept an eye on spending. Excluding our normal food spending (ie supermarkets) we spent $7,675 in the 6 weeks we were there. That doesn’t include the cost of getting there and the Spirit fares. Didn’t get to see everything because it was back to work, but we talked about going back in a couple of years. Taking out low cost or free camp options greatly reduces the chance of that happening. That’s $8,000 of future revenue the state will miss out on. Maybe they’re doing so well they don’t need it.
Charles Wooley, your comments are elitist to the nth degree. You are writing like someone who comes from a privileged background and has never considered how the other half lives and your sloppy journalism smacks of lazy, unresearched waffle. If you happened to contact some of the small regional communities who fail to get the well heeled “one night stand” visitors, who take in Mona and maybe Port Arthur, and disappear into the ether, then you would realise that some of these communities actually welcome the dollars spent by these grey nomads. The huge difference is that they spend significant time in these communities and therefore HAVE TO SPEND money on essentials and maybe the odd luxury. Please don’t comment unless you examine all the angles in the future.
We spent 8 months in Tassie & love the Island, yes we used mainly free or low cost camps. Being self funded retirees we can’t afford Caravan Parks all the time & most can not accommodate 5th Wheelers. We still eat, need fuel to look around, want to go to tourist attractions, pay for licencing to go fishing etc….So you don’t think we spend money ??? Think again.
You just made my mind up Mr Wooley. You can stick Tasmania,those sort of comments will only hurt the economy and every little business that is trying to survive. Try looking at the big picture,there is already enough bad publicity about Tasmania without D…heads like you. Stevo
Are petrol stations in Tasmania complaining of drive offs with fuel not being paid for, or are soup kitchens complaining off grey nomads frequently eating there. Are grey nomads walking out of shops without paying. I live in Tasmania and I haven’t heard of it. How dare people say we don’t pay our way. We pay our rates and car registrations in our home states. We all have paid taxes our working life and are on the lower end of the scale when it comes to superannuation. Most nomads use a combination of caravan parks and free or low cost camps. The need for water dictates that. What’s wrong with staying on a piece of land for a night or two for nothing if is not being used. If you are on a low income are you expected to sit home waiting to die?
We were planning another Tasmania trip for March April 2020, but with all the uncertainty with free or low cost camping. (Who in their right mind wants to stay in a crowded caravan park offering ammenities that you don’t use.) any way that trip has now changed to over the top fro Queensland through NT and down the coast of WA. Sorry to the small business owners in Tasmania that would have liked our business.
I worked at a visitor centre in Tassie as a volunteer a while ago..every day about 3-4pm motorhome owners would come in and ask where they could stay at local free or low cost sites. I prepared a list to give out. It was removed by management…reasons given – caravan parks pay to have their brochures at the visitor centre. its all about the $$$$..so disgusted I left.
We visited Tasmania last May Had a great time we stayed in Time Share just out of Davenport for two weeks touring each day as it was central to the majority of the northern location and then toured south for a week Yes most retirees have a strict budget as did we. I am more than happy to free camp when available or pay for camping when need be. One thing we did notice we we had taken the Van across it would almost cost the same as the accommodation costs we paid. Its a matter of doing your homework. I also agree Caravan Parks need to make a profit or they will close.
All businesses need to make a profit. But if grey nomads are so vital to caravan parks profit why are they spending money on infrastructure that caters for families. And did the think about the hotels and motels when they introduced cabins to their parks. Maybe it’s time for grey nomads who store their caravans at home when they are home, to set up a use my space system while I’m away, so that their normal storage site can be used by traveling nomads for free or a small fee if water is required. But Some do gooder would soon put a stop to it. Why does everything have to be about making money.
I don’t resent paying for anything, but I sure resent paying for something I don’t need. My van is completely set up for not requiring to be in a caravan park (putting up with management looking down their nose or being control freaks, kids screaming, feral trash permanents, tight driveways, sites and no ability to remain hooked up for 24hours, having to be out by 10am….and the list of negatives goes on), so I resent paying a lot of money for something I do not need. I’m happy to pay for water, power if I ever need it and dumping facilities (although it’s saving public toilet use). I don’t understand what caravan parks don’t get about how requirements have changed, so therefore they need to change the way they operate. I’d be somewhat happy to use caravan parks if they were priced accordingly and the negatives points I’ve highlighted out were addressed.
Love Tassie, always place a hand on my heart when I hear it’s name ❤️. We are self funded nomads, not so grey….but don’t want to sit around waiting to die or be denied. Caravan parks are not our thing, we aren’t partial to bring treated like sardines, but will pay for their plot of dirt…(prefer my own amenities) when the occasion arises. This debate is simple, I won’t stay where I’m not welcome, period. There are PLENTY of gorgeous little towns on the mainland that DO makes us feel welcome, remote or otherwise, their businesses tell us they are grateful. It’s a no brainer really, I will always support those that support me.
The Mercury is a Murdoch rag. The entire mainstream media is rubbish but the Murdoch press is the worst of the worst.
Don’t give these corporate propagandists oxygen.
Loved the facilities provided around Tasmania for RVs and the opportunity of free camping. Good way of enjoying some of my state’s GST. The condition people leave drop points and toilets in may make a charge reasonable. However, holiday makes buy fuel, food, tours etc. so not much to be complaining about I’d say.