Victorian farmers are again warning that the State Government’s bid to allow camping on crown land river frontages has not been properly thought through.
Aside from the concerns over littering, anti-social behaviour, and insurance issues, landholders claim the move will dramatically increase the risk of unattended campfires starting bushfires.
Last financial year, Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) reported 860 of the 1435 bushfires it attended in state forests and other crown land were sparked by unattended campfires.
FFMV even issued a public alert in January, warning that – at that point – campfires had caused 270 bushfires on public land, which was more than half the fires responded to by crews.
Rutherglen CFA deputy group officer Paul Heard said ‘we’re very concerned about the lack of consultation’ on the camping plan, given the risks and that most water frontages are difficult to access or have just one road in or out.
“If we have 50 to 100 sites up here where people are camping and a fire starts it’s going to be so hard to manage community safety,” Mr Heard said. “Are they (government) doing risk assessments and fire plans for each site?”
The Townsville Bulletin reports that the Victorian Government is in the midst of trying to deliver its 2018 election promise to open up crown land water frontages to campers, who will be able to light campfires, despite most of the land being licensed to and managed by adjoining landholders.
A government spokesperson said ‘there were existing rules about campfire safety that everyone must follow to reduce the risk of bushfires and protect the community and environment’.
The Government is spending more than $2 million employing 21 contractors for 12 months to assess which river frontages are suitable for public camping.
“The advertised positions will support the implementation and assist with the ongoing consultation and assessment of possible sites,” the spokesperson said.
But the Bulletin reports that Victorian Farmers Federation land management spokesman, Gerald Leach, was not impressed.
“We know more campers will mean more unattended fires and it will be the landholders and the local CFA that deal with the consequences,” he said. “This is why we want a system of registration, to encourage good behaviour and ensure accountability.”
And the State Opposition shared those concerns.
“There’s mass confusion on waste management, water quality, bushfire risk, vulnerable species, impacts on cultural heritage, biosecurity, public liability and protection of livestock, which still haven’t been addressed by the Labor Government,” said Nationals Leader, Peter Walsh. “Opening these river frontages to the public will create more erosion to river banks and damage to the surrounding habitat, as well as requiring stricter biosecurity measures and management of livestock — all on top of the already full-time job of managing a farm.”
