The days of free camping at Wilks Park in the New South Wales town of Wagga could be about to draw to a close … or at least be changed forever.
The park has reportedly been a free camping site since 1888 but Wagga City council – under pressure from local caravan park owners – is moving towards change.
The authority’s Commercial and Economic Standing Committee has just considered a proposal to keep the site as a primitive camping ground but limit self-contained travellers to a 72-hour stay or risk a fine; limit the number of self-contained travellers allowed to stay there; and to stop “inappropriate users” from camping on the site. The recommendations will now be considered by the full council on February 27
But, according to the town’s Daily Advertiser newspaper, many van park owners are still far from satisfied.
“The location of Wilks Park as a primitive camping ground is inappropriate due to the close proximity to town and the town centre,” said park owner Jeff Simons, speaking on behalf of the collective caravan park owners and managers. “By having a primitive camping ground, council will be in direct competition with legitimate caravan parks, and this in turn is having a negative financial impact of all the parks.”
Mr Simmons questioned whether Wilks Park as a camping ground constituted competitive neutrality, which commercial and economic development director Peter Adams believed was not the case as council doesn’t charge campers.
Mr Simmons, who insists he is not against ‘appropriate’ areas set aside for free camping, said the town’s van parks had the capacity to accommodate all of the many extra campers who stay at Wilks Park.
“All the caravan parks in Wagga are capable of taking the vehicles (large motor homes) comfortably,” he said. “Perhaps we would negotiate a deal with council to take these vehicles into the parks and have an agreed fee … it would take the pressure off us and the council.”
Interestingly, this idea was not dismissed out of hand by councillors, who will now apparently attend a workshop on the matter. If free camping is eventually outlawed at Wilks Park, it will certainly be interesting to see how many of those who do currently camp there pay to pull into a van park instead … and how many just keep passing through town.
