The proposed changes to the camping fee structure in Victorian national parks has sent shockwaves though the grey nomad community.
The State Government has announced plans to introduce camping fees for the first time in 11 national parks, and to raise fees in 24 other parks that already charge for camping. The new user pays approach is expected to be introduced in March 2014. Another 98 parks or reserves will also charge fees by 2015.
The government is proposing basic and very basic sites, which are currently free, will soon cost $13 per night. The Australian newspaper says the cost of camping at premium sites, where fees already apply, could be hiked from an average $37 a night to about $59 a night. The government says it does not expect the “modest” price rises to affect demand.
However, the secretary of the Combined Caravan Club of Victoria, Bev Parkinson, told the Age newspaper that the fee hike would hit older campers very hard … and that fees should be kept low.
“I don’t think they need to be extravagant, or people will just find somewhere else,” she said. “All the grey nomads look like they’re on a permanent holiday, but they budget very carefully.”
However, the move has been welcomed by VicParks, which represents private camp and holiday park operators. It says currently many campers were rejecting caravan parks in favour of the cheaper or free national parks.
“This puts the government parks on a level playing field with our parks,” said VicParks chief executive Elizabeth White.
The government says the motivation behind the camp fee re-think was the cost of maintaining the state’s 680 national park campgrounds.
Environment Minister Ryan Smith says there is a $10 million shortfall in what it costs to maintain the campgrounds.
“We don’t want them to go into decline and we feel that the fairest way to do that is to have a user-pays system,” he told the Age. “So this modest fee rise in camping I think will go a long way to making sure that we provide the good opportunities and the good facilities that we currently have in these camping grounds. ”
Mr Smith stressed that Victoria would continue to have free entry into its national parks, unlike other states.
The Victorian Government has invited the public to give feedback to the proposals contained in its regulatory impact statement (RIS) which can be downloaded here You can express your views by emailing camping.RIS@depi.vic.gov.au by November 22.
Will this move deter you from camping in Victorian national parks? Will it make you re-assess in which states you spend the most time? Comment below.
Free or low cost camping areas are a way for Grey Nomads to reduce their costs and to enjoy the natural bush around them. If the Government raises the prices for camp spots that have little or no conveniences to a range that is higher than previously. 1. Are they going to improve the sites so that the conveniences are improved to include hot showers, clean and well maintained toilets. 2. Who is going to collect the fees and supervise the sites, honesty boxes only work for honest people. Online booking systems don’t seem to work all that well (as per the Qld system ) 3. If the prices rise too high, then they will be the same as a caravan park or is that their long term plan to have us all go to CP’s instead?
“This puts the government parks on a level playing field with our parks” so we now own caravan parks? These are public owned lands that are already paid for by the tax payers of Australia, so why should we have to be even in the same game as private enterprise let alone on a level playing field. I thought the idea of national and state parks were there to preserve ecological and significant areas for all? I have no problem with paying extra for using the land, I do have a problem with private enterprise trying to tell me how much I should pay to do so.
I guess that this is the last year we visit & spend money in victoria
Right on Jenrel wife and I said the same thing
Once again we see politicians and bureaucrats making noises about this is good for the consumer. What a load of crock! With fees like that it would almost make me want to prefer to go to a caravan park, At least a lot of them are cheaper LOL.
Nobody seems to understand that we go to National Parks to get away from all the mod cons, primitive camping at primitive cost.
“The government says it does not expect the “modest” price rises to affect demand.” I would love to see the research that proves that statement, have they learned nothing from the Tasmania debacle.
“The government says it does not expect the “modest” price rises to affect demand.” LOL what a stupid comment. I plan to give Victoria a great big miss when I travel, it will be QLD to NSW to SA and beyond.
Simple solution, do not camp in Victoria! I wont be!
Its just another money grab, No matter what they call it,
Ohhh well looks like that’s another place to cross of the list, and it looks like the private parks will now have a reason to up their prices too..
We are permanent travellers and find the whole ‘National Park’ system very confusing. Every state has a different payment system, with different prices and methods of payment. Qld recently changed their payment and booking to online only, which is ok if you are in an area with internet/mobile coverage. I don’t have an issue with paying for a site in a National Park, providing I can see where the money is being spent. Clean toilets with toilet paper, rubbish bins provided, etc. But I do object to paying for a site that is not maintained.
national parks not caravan parks, we will avoid Victoria. these camp grounds are basic, long drop toilets no showers or cold only. Do they actually think people only go there cause they are cheap wake up. caravan parks won’t benefit, cause people will just avoid Victoria and nobody benefits. van parks are the instruments of their own doom.
Do any of these councils ever bother to look at some van websites or ask questions before making stupid decisions. I emailed the ceo of the Winton council in FNQ and the only contact he had had with any organisation was with the CMCA but he couldn’t view their forum as it is closed to non members. I told him about this site and another and he immediately responded to the Grey Nomads.com Good on him. Pity other councils didn’t show same nouse.
Bugga! Now I’ll have to work out a new route for our next trip. Victoria, you are off the list!
Our next destination was Victoria. We will not stay in Caravan Parks and National Parks are becoming very expensive as they rarely offer decent facilities for the money. Looks like we also give Victoria a miss. I like to spend my dollar at local shops – if there is anything left after all these rising fees.
But wait you can take your tribe of kids to Wilsons Prom for the day,use the showers and toilets all day long,dump your rubbish you have brought from home, use the BBQs free of charge and use all the tracks and whatever else all day long and as long as you leave by sundown not one cent is paid for the use. Now who is the minister kidding when he says it puts it on a “users pay” footing. More hot air from an ignorant and uninformed politician.
I am a Victorian and I will vote with my feet also but not to an overpriced private park neither.
Hi we are from Victoria and we travel very carefully to a budget,( unlike most pollies) we dont have spare cash to throw around, We also cannot us national parks, but judging by the N/Ps we have seen are unlikely to use them either, We prefer state parks where we are free to take our dogs , sadly most state forests are now national parks which leads us into free camping elsewhere whenever we can.Usually in Rest Areas, so the Gov has already changed our way of camping drastically…leave things you dont understand alone…
We also travel with 2 very well behaved dogs, we never let them off lead for fear of losing them, but sadly, a lot of national parks are off the agenda due to us being punished for owning mans best friend.
Hi, I’m from NSW which has just announced the same, they are going to charge in parks that have previously been free. It’s a disgrace, I don’t mind a basic fee, after all the facilities are mostly basic or non existant and I like it like that. The charges suggested are over the top and what right do van park owners have to suggest it brings tariffs in line with them. I thought we are all co-owners of National Parks. Van Park owners are business people who have to work out how to draw customers in, and make a profit/living for themselves and be competative in the market. Given the money spent on pools, jumping pillows, playgrounds etc that these parks have they don’t appear to be struggling. Leave the National Parks alone and keep prices in the reach of families and grey nomads. We have stopped using NSWNP because of the costs.
Its quite simple. Think about this, if there are two pubs on different sides of the road at an intersection and one sells there beer $2.00 cheaper than the other one, which one will have all the paying customers?
Well, the Victorian Government had better reassess their thinking.
You don’t have to go through Victoria anymore to go to anywhere, as Tasmania has cut its own throat with a huge cost to travel on their boat and also charging to camp in places that were free for the last 50 years.
Lets face it, Victoria is only a hamburger stop between Sydney & Perth anyway.
The people who are really going to suffer are the local trades people in the small towns close by, who’d be picking up passing travellers, wanting fuel, groceries, a cold beer etc
The suits that make decisions like this have no idea what they are doing to the small towns along the way. But hoping for a promotion with hair brained ideas like this, that’ll shoot them straight up to the top of the government promotion ladder.
They should be trimming the FAT SUITS up that ladder first to save money and keep the travelling public spending in their state.
Fellow travellers, its up to you to use your power and take your dollar to the State or Territory that has the best weather, cheap camping and really wants to lure you there.
By pass the money grabber states and spend where its wanted.
We go to Victoria twice a year, and NO WAY we will go again, or to any other State that hikes up the National Parks fee, NO, we do not stay in these parks but for the one that do stay to make their money stretch further we will support them. Caravan Parks should have learnt by now, so if they are struggling well that’s their own fault for hiking up the park fees, our holidays are mostly overseas where we get more bang for our bucks, if the Fat Suits want us to holiday in AUS, then get realistic about it and stop trying to bleed us Nomads for every thing we have, they also want to think of the damage it does to the local trade in their States, especially the small towns.
The proposed hike in fees will force more Nomads to freecamp. More and more vans are on the roas each year. Wjere will they all stop and camp? Next there will be patrols along our roads to stop people free camping.
We might have to sell our van and start travelling overseas, it is becoming more attractive all the time.
We have been nomads for nearly 8 yrs and have invested tens of thousands of hard earned dollars to permit us to live our chosen lifestyle (suitable van, tug. solar panels, gen set etc, etc) . Most parks, nat or van don’t offer us anything we haven’t got already. now they want to charge us for the privilege. NO THANKS. Going to find all the independent ( not free because we have already paid for them) camp sites in Qld for as long as I’m allowed.
I really wonder if any of these so called educated politicians have ever experienced a holiday outside of a resort or trumped up motel room. How can they expect to make informed decisions when they would have no idea of what our travels involve. I have really questioned using national parks of late due to the poor maintenance, unlevel camp sites, little or no water and poorly maintained long drops.
23 responses. Why not put pen to paper as I am doing right now to the DEPI with your comments and feedback on the Regulatory Impact Statement
My wife and I recently stayed in the Big4 caravan park in Ballarat at a cost of $39.00 per night. This included a very secure area, electric power, flushing toilets, hot showers, level sites with concrete annexe pad, and if we wanted them, an endless swimming spa, swimming pool, jumping pillow, free BBQ’s, fully equipped camp kitchen, TV room, games room, and major supermarkets and shops close handy. We have frequently camped at Aire River West campground in the Great Otway National Park in the past which has been free (well the ranger who has visited most days has never requested payment). Now the DEPI are telling us we have to pay $35.90 a night to stay there when the only facilities offered are long drop toilets and (BYO wood) BBQ pits. Unfortunately we have seen the last of Aire River unless these rediculous prices are dropped.
I have camped at Tamboon Inlet for at least 40 years with only a long drop toilet cleaned sometimes no fresh water and this stupid government wants me to now pay $37 50 a night or camp on the lake with no toilets for $13 a night could cause a massive Health and Safety problem.