Grey nomads who have been excitedly watching the progress of the Victorian Government’s plans to allow camping on riverfront crown land used by farmed under grazing licences might be disappointed by the final result.
Campers will be free to stay the night at many sites … but they’ll be walking in and staying in tents as cars, camper trailers and caravans will not be allowed.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) identified 500 licensed river frontages as potentially suitable for camping along the Broken, Campaspe, Broken and Goulburn Rivers in the state’s north-east. The ABC reports that assessors looked more closely at 311 of those sites via their desktops and inspected 100 sites in person.
“Obviously, for the desktops [assessments] we are looking at maps and details, but when we go out on site to have a look we are really wanting to confirm that people can get access through public means to the licensed sites,” DELWP Hume manager Clare Kiely told the ABC. “So, you can’t go through private property at all.”
Ms Kiely said campers were not allowed to set up within 200 metres of any residence on the licensed crown land between private property and the river banks.
“When we think about people accessing these sites, we’re not looking to build any camping facilities,” she told the ABC. “It is rough camping, you are camping on land as it is, so there may be stock utilising this land and so you would be camping in among that.”
Ms Kiely said campers would need to park their vehicles and hike in.
“You need to be able to drive on a government road or an unused government road but you will be expected to then park your car and walk to the crown land area and for some sites it could be quite a few hundred metres that you’ve got to walk,” she told the ABC. “So yeah, you will have to have a backpack and carry your tent with you and a fair bit of walking to be able to camp.”
Firewood collection will be banned but campfires will be permitted on some designated sites.
The designated campsites sites will be published on a DELWP website.
The plans to allow camping at these sites has been fiercely opposed by farmers who are anxious about possible poor camper behaviour and the fact that they might be expected to ‘police’ the site.
Of course a farmer may allow you to bring your car & caravan on to his land. A case of beer or a bottle of wine might ease the way.
No word on toilets.
Paragraph 6, “we’re not looking to build any camping facilities” and “It is rough camping, you are camping on land as it is”.
Do not agree with this camping idea. While some may do the right thing and carry in their “porta potty” it still raises the question about toilet waste, dogs and noise. There is enough pressure on waterways now why add to it
I doubt that weekend worriers and yobbos would make the effort and carry their camping gear hundreds of metres, they want it easy.
We spent 35 years camping in tents. Great to see areas set aside for people willing to make a considerable effort to camp at a location rather than just driving to it in an RV.
Who is going to clean up their toilet mess when the walk-in campers leave, what a stupid decision
Human waste decomposes quickly, as it’s farmland there will be plenty of animal waste around anyway, if they leave rubbish and toilet paper then that’s an undesirable problem, however I think you will find that if they are willing to carry a tent eskies and camping gear hundreds of metres they will be responsible campers. I doubt that weekend worriers and yobbos would make the effort.
Big difference between human waste and cattle or sheep poo
What if you have cattle or other livestock on that land – if you are paying a Grazing Lease campers should not be allowed. What if you have a bull in that area?