As summer nears, coastal communities across the country are once again readying themselves for an influx of travellers … and a potential surge in illegal camping.
Over recent years, the ‘issue’ has become more visible, and a lot more complicated. Contributing factors include a pandemic-inspired surge in camping’s popularity, the rise of digital nomads and the van-life phenomenon, and a housing crisis that has left many with no place to go.
And the authorities are struggling to know what to do.
In WA, the Shire of Augusta Margaret River has called a special council meeting for later this month which will address the illegal camping issue … and, in doing so, it has acknowledged its traditional approach hasn’t been effective.
There are several places along Jordan Esplanade in Coffs Harbour where caravanners and motorhomers commonly park. PIC: Jezza
A council report says a ‘purely enforcement-based response has proven insufficient’, and is recommending the special meeting adopt a community engagement approach – ‘bringing community members into a genuine partnership with Shire officers and the council to identify local problems, codesign solutions, and share accountability for results’.
“Traditional responses to illegal camping have relied on enforcement, short-term infrastructure fixes and internal, officer led actions,” the report said. “While necessary, they often treat symptoms rather than causes.”
The council acknowledged that community members had repeatedly expressed frustration with the Shire’s response to illegal camping … and thinks involving them more in the process will help.
The plan is to establish an ongoing Illegal Camping Community Working Group to advise on the management of illegal camping and peak season pressures.
“The group will operate as an advisory and participatory body to inform illegal camping actions over time,” the council report said. “In this model, the Shire’s role shifts from sole problem-solver to facilitator and implementer, providing technical expertise, logistical support, transparent reporting, and statutory enforcement capability.”
And the process has already begun to some extent. Between March and September this year, 13 meetings with community members were held, producing an initial three-year roadmap of actions.
And, while the process may have been different, the suggested solutions appeared fairly familiar. They include higher infringement penalties, revised ranger patrol routes, trial gate access changes at some bushland areas, and new ‘No Free Camping’ signage.
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This area is a paradox. On one hand the local farms need workers for grapes and other crops; but on the other hand there is no long term accommodation for workers – the caravan parks only offer short term holiday accommodation which is horrendously expensive. Even for travellers just passing through there is nothing on offer that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. It’s a real shame as it’s such a beautiful part of Oz that could with a bit of thought offer so much more for the travelling community.
Illegal camping is rampant in coastal areas all over Australia.
We live on the coast South of Melbourne
Illegal campers are plentiful particularly motorhomes.
They should have their wheels clamped until they pay a $300 on the spot fine.
No excuses.
I too live on the southern Victorian coast but don’t necessarily see it as a massive problem. But how about a creative approach that instead of a fine?, Maybe a similar financial amount that MUST be spent in LOCAL businesses. (not the major shopping chains – but small businesses) This then forces money to be spent in the local economy. Not sure how it could work in practice but with fines it is local residents who are impacted but it is the council that picks up the revenue.
Fines for kids who cant buy a cheap house like you did? Have a heart for the young mate!
I agree. Some forward thinking councils even provide free camp sites for that very reason. There are a lot of dollars spent by the travellers. They do need provisions.
A good idea which will bring money into the local community rather than the council.
We always spend our money in these places when passing through. If nowhere to camp sorry but those places we just pass on through to another. There .OS’s. Not ours.
Good one mate
How do you think your town keeps going. It’s the campers and travelers that help keep the shops open. I now we lived in a small town and we welcomed all visitors.
Peterborough in SA has set aside a huge area for FREE camping and these campers spend quiet a bit of money in the town visiting the extensive railway museum & other places of interest as well as stocking up on supplies before heading into the Flinders Ranges& on up the Oodnadata Track. That’s what ALL councils should be doing not finding people & driving them away.
Great Jim ,all we seem to hear about is councils whating to fine campers and the residents who probley have never travelled. We spend most of our money in small towns but councils still what to fine us
So true this as we have stayed there many times. Spent our money to a welcoming town .
I have to agree with you there, my family did 6 weeks in the outback when I was in year 7. We did most of the trip free camping, however every town we visited we would spend at least 1 night in at a caravan park to shower but by not spending money paying for a place to stay, we spread the money through the rest of the town by spending money on food and attractions in and around the area
Good people
So true.
Nope.
Yet you want tourists to spend money in your town, if i can camp for free i can afford to buy things in the town, $60-PLUS for 1 nite in a caravan park is a joke, just means i get to charge everything up, afford a couple of loads of washing then leave, without spending a dime in the town..
How about a free camp just on the edges of towns for those with little money that are strictly monitored as 24 or 48 hour only and plenty of rubbish bins! So many rest areas and places have no bins or not emptied regularly, or no lids so whilst campers do right thing birds like crows tear apart the rubbish and then it blows everywhere
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West Wyalong has free parking so has Narrandera couple of nice towns
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People should not be fined because they cant afford $1 000 000 house or the exorbitant rent. Have a heart for people with jobs who want to save for a house one day or build their own slab hut. Where are the areas other than crime filled expensive caravan parks to stay? Rich home owners who bought so cheap are just inconsiderate of our children. Lobby for reasonable places for home stressed people! Btw Im a home owner too. Grow up and be concerned about those who cant do what you did anymore.
Get over yourself
Wow such an narrow minded post. We All share the laof Australia. Those who seek to restrict others from realising freedoms of our country are selfish prices.
Probably easier to let them spend 300 bucks in town and let them enjoy the space for a night then they leave quietly bothering nobody
Happy camper will spend money on fuel food souvenirs etc,unhappy keep driving
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What about the small business income from campers travellers and grey nomads do you want those small businesses to fail?
Just like the council that has closed the kyabram CM festival. This festival bought a lot of money into the community and businesses. Some councils have a lot to answer to. You would have thought they would have got behind the organisers and helped them not close them down. SHAME on you Kyabram council
Guess I will not be visiting or attending any seasonal work in your area. Cost for caravan parks are extreme. I don’t require electricity or amenities. But the areas we stay benefit as we purchase groceries, feul, dinning and drinking as well as some clothing, souvenirs etc. To read you wish to clamp wheels that’s OK we will travel and work elsewhere. Thank you for heads up.
If they are not making a mess or causing problems then what’s the problems i think it is greedy caravan parks are the one complaining if they did not charge excessive fees more people would probably use despite it being like in a sardine yon
Yep, I’m single and I wanted to stay in a caravan park one night I was so tired and it was over Easter. They wanted $42 just for a shower and sleep. I moved on to a free place out of Warwick. The response was Oh but it’s Easter holidays.
Most people understand .Some don’t
Just make it legal! Esperance has as well overflow camp sites. So if the demand is there you need to provide a legal offer. Can be pretty basic sites with just toilets but should be self financing by reasonable $20 overnight fees and max 1 night stay.
There are 2 types: low budget vans, but as well large caravans as it’s impossible to have a journey through the Margaret River /south west region as camp sites require to stay a full week in school holidays. The politics is pushing families and backpackers in illegal space!!!
Agree. Look at France!
I agree too! Margaret River & Esperence live on tourism, the cheaper camping options or even free is better as you can then spend money in the town instead of greedy corporate run expensive caravan parks..I have an old shepherd who barks at anyone coming near our Van which is embarrassing in a caravan park not to mention annoying for people,..a free area away from people is great for us & everybody else and means we get to spend money in the town!
I agree. Much prefer to spend in town then caravan parks which are over the moon in pricing. Even showgrounds are starting to hike their prices
Good Comments.
Been travelling around Vic/NSW and found some beautiful small towns where the Local Council has set up free Campers/Caravans
stayovers.You then go to local shops and spend money to help these places survive.
Works for everyone. No brainer
That’s the smart way to look at it.
Totally agree.. local businesses would welcome more sales…. but cheap accommodation is necessary to house seasonal staff
Great response.
Well said – have heart you home owners who bought your house so cheap – think of people who cant work, cant afford it and will never be able to afford a million bucks.
To travel around Oz as a Grey Nomad the costs are outrageous.
Staying in hotels etc is prohibitive so the logical solution is a Caravan.
As long as everyone DOES the right thing all should be good.
And if you leave a bush site as you SHOULD have found it there is no problem.
People traveling this way may reduce their use of caravan parks but there are multitudes of other businesses that benefit.
I stopped traveling around Australia because they had closed down our free camping, I was spending on average $6,000 a month traveling, not bad more.
I will travel overseas because I wasn’t respected as a full time traveler, made to feel like everything I was doing was breaking some bullshitlaw?
Multinational corporations have bout out all caravan parks, and bought out councillors and politicians.
Destroying our culture of camping and exploring our land.
Everyone should stop spending their hard earned money traveling Australia and go overseas.
I agree totally – i wont pay a cent for a patch or dirt. Boycott caravan parks totally. Especially WA.
Agreed. You can stay in 5 star hotels in south east asia for cheaper than caravan parks in Australia
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Margaret River Shire needs to go to Jarradale and view there Free RV stop. Only bind and a dump point and water required. Put travellers where you can control them.
Give the nomads/travellers a place to stay. Surely you can nominate a designated area so all the bitching stops. A lot of people are just living day by day and need support.
Go Robyn – my council provides two free camps with my rates – why cant yours. I pushed mine to get the second . You can too. Your businesses will love you.
We’re all Aussies , ya know.
Swaggies
Provide legal camping – not expensive caravan parks only
What’s the big deal most caravaners have worked all their lives played taxes, still paying taxes fuel tax, rego tax, get on food tax ,the country belongs to the people. NOT THE GOVERNMENT, you give plenty to the aboriginals and they most of them don’t pay any tax. Fucken lighten up you pricks. This has been a thing for years ,it’s away of life for some ,a retirement plan for the low income earners. Put a $10.00 per caravan on it ,and a big hefty fine whom leaves rubbish behind. THIS COUNTRY BELONGS TO ALL AUSTRALIANS and most Australians have paid their dues.
Well said.
Exactly
Right on the mark ! Get on rubbish but leave people alone like we used to. Live and let live.
My question why is camping illegal is it purely a greed thing in these areas. Australia has plenty of FREE camping spots I go them spend my money in their communities. Thinking your area is some sort of special and need to put a monetary value on it you can keep it
Im with Michael – vote with your money. Boycott exorbitant caravan parks
Provide a 20 hour area which is strictly monitored
Why only 20 hours? I want time to visit places. Walk the town and talk to locals. Three days at least. Why just burn diesel and watch a white line? Stop and smell the roses mate.
Every council should be required to provide a free camping area. Stop trying to screw every dollar you can out of passing tourists. The cost of maintaining the basic facilities is more than offset by the extra revenue brought into the various local businesses.
Take a look at how it successfully operates in most areas in Tasmania.
It is not legal for a security guard to give an on spot fine .he is not a policy inforcer sworn in by crown if he was he would first give you 24 hour’s to move on before so just as a police officer would … Personally I would charge him with assault by harassment… About the camping I think what has been done in new Zealand is a great idea they have many rest areas around the country most without facilities that are 48 hour stops so long as you have a permit and sticker on window for your vehicle to say it’s a self sufficient vehicle basically meaning you’ve a toilet you can use in vehicle most communities profit from this as it brings money spenders to the community and not overpriced greedy mostly council caravanparks
Sounds to sensible Gary – Greed wrecks tourism
Gome.are the days of one meeting to be in a home, work is too hard to come by, and people need to be fluid in life to stay afloat, or to get ahead. It’s in the native spirit of pur lamd to go walk about. Caravanning is just another way of answering this call in modern terms. If people are paying tax and rego, and insurance. There shouldn’t be illegal camping. But there should be long term or extended term option put aside for people to either trnaision or seasonal visit places. These are simple things, often on the outskirts of a town, amd bring with it, culture, skill sharing, economic benefits to remote and regional areas etc etc.. People that are young digital nomads should be encouraged to love this way.. As it’s frees up the cities houses for families or people with a fixed need to be in one particular area.. Of they made exceptions for people to live on land, outside of towns, and off main road view.. releasing small blocks of land for cheap purchase via local councils them we could help facilitate seasonal stays or indeed living that is cheap sustainable and safe..
Not everyone needs an entire home, I am a lifetime bachelor.. amd feel it is unsafe to have flatmates these days, with drug and violence issues.. So why can’t I live alone, in a carvan where I am safe and independent.. Why am I force to pay $409,000 just gor a tiny piece of soil in a country as large as our, when Aboriginals get 1 million acres for free. Why is there no where cheap, free from investors that people can go.
We need to do better, and move forward, building practices and technology has changed in vans.. and we should be encouraging some of these regional areas to allow cheap land to be sold for development of a carvan life. Toilet, water, and power and an large carport style roof is really all that is required.. amd peolle can set down gardens and begin living as god intended.. safe, happy, and clean.. So where is the issue? Of its not taking down other people’s home values as it is not in a visual area. Then there is no issue. Big country, lots of solutions here, of we are being honest about just supporting people’s right to life and to exist..
Andrew for pm – why cant people advocate some cheaper choices for our kids and grandkids. What debt mess and top world real estate prices we have left them. Shame! Well thought out Andrew!
They should consider out of town offgrid/rv parking so people can unhitch and go into town, stay overnight. Not all vans want to pay for caravan parks and an option should be available.
The population keeps on growing and the problem will only get worse.
Go and have a look at how Kalgoorlie manage the situation. Very well done.
How about the council provide camping areas and encourage travellers to stop like plenty of others do but unfortunately the margret river area is not know to do this
There is no where to park/camp that doesn’t cost an arm or leg. Caravan parks are fully booked out . So for visitors to experience your wonderful part of the country. Wouldn’t it be in your best interest to open some more hip camps cmca camps and or council donation camps with a 72 hour restriction that is strictly regulated??? As long as everyone has a toilet and shower.
Well when parks charged 40 to 50 per person a night is pretty expensive when alot of caravans or even vans might only use the toilet or shower or nothing at all.
Not to mention availability to just park up.
Thats a crazy price to pay for parking a small van the size of 1 car. And maybe using a toilet and shower.
Bring more legal free camps with gold coin operated showers i say
We grey nomads spend a lot of money in the regions, but will not pay the exorbitant c/park fees. No free camps, we move on and our money goes elsewhere.
Giving them somewhere free to camp would seem to be the answer, the location could be on the sign warning people about camping illegally anywhere else.
1) Develop a detailed database of all promoters of these natural areas (i.e. influencers, tourism businesses, organised events, etc). Quantify the number of successfully targeted customers through these promoters for a particular region (maybe even on a site-specific basis) and develop a model predicting the cumulative future visitation impacts as a result of this promotion.
2). Tax all known promoters with the aim of all revenue raised returning to fund management of the same region/sites being promoted in the first place, i.e:
– Pre-visitor education; prominent advertising on the same/similar digital promotional platforms to foster expected behaviours when visiting these regions/sites!
– develop adequate sustainable tourism development planning documents for each region/site (significant input from the local community).
– if modelling suggests regions/sites are being promoted in excess of agreed sustainable levels, either develop the sites to accommodate increased usage and/or tax the revenue of promoters to the point where it is no longer profitable to promote particular regions/sites.
3). Agricultural workers should be accommodated on private land as part of their working package. Agricultural companies should be actively encouraged to work together to share costs in this space.
4). In high tourism areas, consider mechanisms to encourage a certain percentage of all bookings during school holidays periods to be made up of those that include school aged children only. Maybe these visits can also be subsidised somehow from the same tax system outlined above?
5). Compliance: Regulators to develop a shared Australia-wide database of free camping offenders. It is difficult to re-offend without wheels (regardless of financial or demographic background), so consider methods such as clamping wheels for repeat offenders and/or those with unpaid fines.
Illegal camping is a way for people to enjoy theses places because the cost of staying in caravan parks is to bloody expensive for most people who either live on the road or are travelling most off us have a tight budget put in a low cost nature based camp ground and charge people 10 dollars a night and you will see the benefits coming from that but don’t get greedy or a 72 hour free spot for self contained vehicles people will enjoy the benefits and so will your town these tourist destinations want our money but not us
Give more camping areas that are cheap ie self contained! Caravan parks are too expensive and booked out a year in advance! You want people to come and spend money in the shire so make more places for them to camp.
Say all the poor people in their giant caravans towed by a monster truck
Make camping legal and it won’t be illegal. Build public amenities all over. Very simple.
Give alternative free camping sites It’s a joke that in a vast country like this there’s not enough space for people to camp
re free camping,if they push every one into van parks they cant handle influx, the prices and restrication they place on people does not encourage van park stays and entry exits are other concern,in stead of closing places down open more places all over australia,open more state forest and more national park land and new national parks,howabout looking how much these people spend a year as a whole in a year and it is serious money which help keeps people in jobs and towns to survie n prosper,more n more vans are being sold so it’s better to address it as a whole and not focus on 1 problem, if people stop traveling there got no vistors visiting. where there’s plenty of room camping areas should be huge,i dont want to be camping and hear what next door is saying,for me i dont want to jammed like sardine in tin in a van park.this all can be solved if people work together as one for the good of every one,good place to start is common couresty and respect. dont get greedy and dont tie every thing up in red tape!! councils and communties need to make there regions welcoming in every way they can,friendly people,clean facalities,plenty easy parking for vans etc good start and decent all weather roads and shoulders on roads marvelous what good operator on grader can do.
It’s all about the $$$ that can come in. Why should anyone really have to pay to go and see their country ? They could easily make certain areas free, but won’t as there is money to be made. Unless people are camping outside your house, what’s the problem ? The whole country now believes that everything should cost. Very Unfair !!!
No area of Australia should be a no go zone unless you have booked 12 months in advance and paid a huge amount for a minimum 7 day stay. Reasonable people who simply want to explore this beautiful country and pass through for a day or two will simply not tolerate that sort of assault on their freedom. Put in some basic overflow or on-demand areas for peak times and those same reasonable people will absolutely use them. ‘You cant stay here’ isn’t an answer. Put something in place and be grateful you live there instead of just visit. Every square inch of Australia belongs to Australians. NIMBY shires, nothing less.
Most people who travel Australia are hard-working Aussies, cost of living is spiralling out of control. Maybe there needs to be a permit system for free campers & 1 of the clauses must be to always carry a little portaloo or among other things , so people cant defecate anywhere they choose outdoors , etc . Technically Australia is aboriginal land taken from them …. so a % of fines should go to the local aboriginal communitys , not the ceo , coo of the councils bonuses .
Do local show grounds still provide camping spots cheaply? I remember lots of overnight stays there in the smaller towns.
It is all good to say ” just need a shower” and dump point.
But who is going to pay to maintain these?
We are making our back from the cape.
We hv notice that even honesty systems of any description are abused, no matter how cheap.
It all nice yo say this is Oz and i,ve paid taxes etc all my life, blarblar, well you are not alone.
Things cost money and travell of any description is one.
Caravan and road travell in Oz is very costly and if you insist on hugging the coast, u will pay for it.
Just hv to pick times outside of peak season, make road life more afordable.
I’ve been travelling on the road now for 8 years. Go to the smaller inland towns and they welcome campers regardless if they are staying in caravan parks or free camping. They know it brings money into their town. Make free camps more available with a certain amount of days allowed to stay and enforce that principle. Small businesses, advertise at these camp grounds and campers will support you. Fines are not the answer.
Long time caravan traveller here. If you want travellers to spend money in your towns then make us feel welcome. Many councils have areas where travellers can stay free or pay a small fee to “free” camp. A lot of country pubs like you to stay out back as long as you come in for a meal. Same principal applies to towns.
It’s unwarranted to get fined if you pull up somewhere because your tired and just want to rest up for the night, plus these days with all the online forums word gets out fast if councils don’t want travellers stopping in their towns so who misses out, the businesses.
I agree, a moderate fee, say $10, most people wouldn’t mind paying and it can go to maintaince of the area. Caravan parks are just robbing people, particularly in the west, and for that money it’s not worth it. Most vans are self-sufficient these days so it should be even cheaper. The region will lose in the long run… Jim
Set up some cheap camp spots walking distance to the towns centres. Have toilets and bins. $10 is the usual fee. Restrict to 48hrs and enforce it. You’ll find most will spend money in the towns even if it’s coffee and cake.
Seriously, many will have expensive fully self contained vans and leave no trace. They tend to spend more in RV friendly towns too.
Grow up you WA sooks I say. You don’t own that land either.
Hope tourism dies in the area and communist government destroys the area.
Been travelling over ten years , stopping and marvaling at the country . Government overreach and intrusion in Australian life is criminal.
A country with only 27 million people and you are closing off every area as if its your back yard.
Kens and karens everywhere!
Free camping areas in country or even coastal towns encourage not only “Grey Nomads” to spend money in the town, even if it is just a few groceries or a couple loads of washing. It is usually over one or two nights. Many Pubs allow free camping with the understanding that the campers buy a meal in the pub. Or the local showgrounds. Many have toilets and showers to assist them which is a blessing. These days of skyrocketing rent and cost of living means many pensionsers, the “Grey Nomads” have nowhere else to go. So if you have RV or GN friendly areas for travellers to stopover, think about allowing access rather than expelling and fining these people. Most will obey the rules of access. Admittedly there are holiday campers inter mixed, but they usually are families with children. So why not find out about their circumstances instead of penalising. Don’t want visitors to your town??? That explains a lot about who you are!
I am currently driving around Australia and think the whole notion that a motorhome parked overnight in a carpark is a problem is hilarious.
I understand tent camping and litter are a problem in some public spaces, and enforcing that makes sense, but there is no difference between my vehicle and anyone else’s, so as long as it’s not unfolded (awnings etc) it shouldn’t matter.
NOTE: I spend much more money than locals in the communities I stay in, and when I am in a remote location, who cares where I sleep?
As an example, I stayed at a beautiful national park waterfall last week. I arrived as the last person left and left as the first person arrived. I left no trace. It was gorgeous and serene. I don’t see why enjoying this public space should cost money?
Travellers need to, stop, rest and survive!!
If every traveller was to comply with all of the rules, regulations and laws, in relation to “legal camping” where is all of the amenities to cater for the influx of these travellers, in particular, motorhomes and caravans? There just isn’t enough areas available for them to use, especially at the peak times of the holiday seasons.
The ridiculous fees and fines imposed on people by these greedy and corrupt authorities are partly to blame for the problems that “illegal camping” is causing!!
I’ve had 3 attempts at starting this, because I keep coming back to old people who, like their bowels, are stuck with their outdated and selfish motives.
You’ve had your time, now get out of the way and let the younger ones enjoy what we grew up with for free.
The shaking of heads and wringing of hands is just intolerable and pathetic and besides
National Parks have grabbed every bit of the best Australia has to offer and locked it up.
Im 66 disabled, and have a motorhome, but I have 2 dogs, so im very limited where I can go.
Personally, I dont like C Parks as for one, the money is now out of control and the gates, the rules, the people.
I know a lot of you here love C Parks, but I’ve search the heavens for an answer, but theyre not for me,
This is why I love like so many others, the remote camping. No human bodily function noises from the old girl next door in a van less than 1 mtr away……..ah the serenity.
So next time, old codger, think about when you were young, if you can still remember things that is
Why is it “illegal ” to stay/sleep in your car/caravan etc overnight, when it’s not illegal to stay/sleep in your car/caraven etc. During the daytime?
The main issue many locals have with “free campers” in the margaret river region is the mess they leave behind. Rubbish and toilet waste in the surround of beach carparks and generally any where nice that people decide they can camp and by the end of summer it is really unhygenic / gross.
Travellers parked all day and all night in the best parking spots at beaches is also a problem .
Using public toilets to shower and wash dishes is common.
Camp fires in the during fireban season , the list goes on .
All acts of selfishness that effect locals and tourists alike .
The excuse that the travellers come here to pick grapes, so why don’t the vineyards (who have no shortage of land) provide camping sites for their workers? Many other fruit regions do this but for some reason the wineries feel they are above this practice.
Another excuse is they can’t afford to stay in caravan or dpaw camp sites doesnt cut it when you are in and expensive RV or 100k troop carrier .
There is an empty unsed sale yard right near town on shire land that could easily be converted into an overflow / gold coin donation camping area that the shire could run (if they really are serious about doing something ). Other shires I have visted provide this service for peak season when the caravan parks are full and it works very well .
There are not enough rangers in our shire and you never see them before bankers hours so it looks like catching locals dogs is easier work than policing campers .
Instead of infringement notices encourage the tourists by allocating areas to free camp as we spend significant amounts of money in the community- caravan parks are charging exorbitant prices and usually have no vacancies. Most of our rigs are self sufficient, we just need a safe place to stop over for 1’3 nights to be able to look at the region.. it’s to the communities benefit
So basically, it’s still the big stick approach, with different people waving the stick. What’s different? It has been acknowledged that the traditional approach hasn’t been effective. So do something NEW. How about some land set aside for those in poverty, and other places set aside for those trying to tour on a budget? No need to give the travellers the most sought after and desirable locations. Most simply seek a safe and legal place to pull up for a few days. Keep access available for locals with no camping allowed at popular spots, but have other places nearby for campers. Basic services like toilets and rubbish bins to help keep them clean. Dump points and potable water could be made available in town. People touring this amazing country can’t all afford to stay in caravan parks every night. Trying to force them into it simply won’t work.
I wouldn’t describe myself as a grey nomad as I don’t travel for long periods at a time much, but I do have a motorhome. When my wife and I first started travelling in the motorhome we did stay in caravan parks as we were security conscious. As others have said it can be very expensive, but a lot of caravan parks do cater for young family’s who use them as a base for a holiday.
As we became a bit more secure of mind staying in free camping areas, we rarely visit parks anymore. We are happy to pay in camping spots that are looked after, and there are many councils and shires who do provide these and it’s as easy as dropping a small offering at a local small business or there are volunteers who come around and collect.
In Boarder Town there is a fantastic camping area with a “Pay Machine” like a parking meter at a very reasonable rate. In Tasmania there are many council run camping areas, well looked after and affordable rates.
I know there are many popular areas in Australia that visitors probably don’t do the right thing, but enforcement does not encourage people who would comply if given the chance.
If councils and shires offer amenities at a reasonable rate then those who don’t comply should cop the enforcement action.
Illegal camping sounds like Illegal living to me , no one really owns the earth, some regulation may be required, but if it’s a low or no impact situation, what’s the problem, the other solution is shires should encourage people into their shires to help support local businesses and communities, or have free or very low cost area’s to support it. If I’ve got my van on the back and need to sleep, it certainly should not be illegal to pull over somewhere safe to sleep,
And after spending a lot of money to buy a “marketed” self reliant van, and help support the economy, then why should we be herded into overpriced van parks ?? We need to be a bit more relaxed about it
Brian, Sulphur Creek , Penguin Tasmania , 3 couples have booked the Spirit of Tasmania August 2026 for a trip to Margaret River area Western Australia , we already know Western Australia does not welcome caravaners and travellers in general but coming anyway , to explore that part of OUR country , Margaret River and other shires should provide free or low cost large areas for self contained vehicles to park up for a limited amount of days so to enjoy those lovely areas we see on brochures etc , Caravan parks are way too overpriced for what most of us want and need , so do what Tasmania does and welcome us into your towns with RV friendly areas to park up , you will be better off for it , cheers