Finding a completely free place to camp in Queensland’s Hervey Bay area could soon be a lot more difficult … but bringing your pets into van parks could be much easier.
These are two of the key recommendations from a Camping Options Stakeholders Group that has been meeting for the past eight months to develop strategies to bring more grey nomads and other caravanners and motorhomes into the region.
The group’s conclusions are expected to be endorsed by Fraser Coast councillors at their meeting in Hervey Bay tomorrow night.
The council has several basic camping grounds which are currently free to use, but the report recommends that a $10 fee be introduced, with the money being put back into the upkeep of grounds. Among other key recommendations are that campers be free to consume alcohol in council-run caravan parks, pets be allowed into the parks, and that more action be taken to fine illegal campers.
Councillor Stuart Taylor, who was a member of the Stakeholders Group, said that improving infrastructure for recreational vehicles and caravans has been a recurring theme.
“The number one request from me personally was getting a dump point in Hervey Bay,” he told the Fraser Coast Chronicle. He said that there was currently no dump point in Hervey Bay and this compared poorly to towns like Maryborough where there were three places for campers to dump waste.
The issue of illegal camping at places such as the All Abilities Playground car park in Pialba was also addressed by the group. Cr Taylor told the Fraser Coast Chronicle that a new system such as closing the car park overnight would allow compliance officers to issue a parking infringement to campers. He said the notice would be attached to the car, ensuring vehicle hire companies would chase up the occupants.
* If implemented, will these measures make you more likely to stay – and stay longer – in Hervey Bay? What do you like or dislike about the proposals? Comment below.
I don,t mind if you get something. Perhaps cheap toilets or pay showers. Paying for free camping isn,t good.
Hello Bill, did you teach in Adelong?
This is a push by the already highcharging caravan parks.
I prefer freecamping completely as i am selfcontained and don’t need anything.
This is just a push by the greedy caravan parks.
If it is $5 in total i will pay but if more i will pass hervey bay, i have many other nice places to go.
On the flipside if you do this why not put a dumppoint there ? A payable one?
On the other side. I don’t understand why these caravan parks are panicking as there are a lot of people not staying in free camps.
Perhaps it is because the caravan parks want to charge more the top $60 some of them charge per day.
$10 is a lot for nothing, especially if you are completely self contained, maybe a shower, toilet, clean water and dump station would be good.
we will bypass hervey bay ,were getting a little sick as grey nomads being charged everywhere we go. Unless we get the services
.you buy suv then a caravan and you want to go travel this great country,for the few years you have left .
.There are a lot of councils .trying to get there dirty grubby little hands on our hard earned dollars. What about pets ,where do you draw the line ,some people have snakes, Rats, Ferrets, mice, cockatoos, your pet pig,
To my knowledge there are NO free camping areas in Hervey Bay itself, there are however some in the outlying towns within the Fraser Coast region, the most popular being Tiaro behind the pub. There are however within Hervey Bay lots of signs saying NO CAMPING. Lived in Hervey Bay for 12 years, just glad I don’t live there anymore that in itself should say something.
I too believe there are no Free Camping in Hervey Bay. lovely spot but i get your drift.
Julia Creek in Northwest Qld is operating one of the most successful free RV sites around! Pets are also allowed. It is a great spot if you’re on your way to the Gulf to pull up for a few days and unwind without it costing you a cent. They also have a camp host program where people can volunteer their time for a few weeks at the site. A great spot that gets my vote!
In answer to “Julia Creek free camp site Georgia….it is for caravans & motorhomes that have INTERNAL en suites!! We stayed o/night & we have a camper trailer & were told that we were not allowed to put up our en suite tent!! Luckily our travelling friends had a caravan with an ensuite so we were allowed to stay! I find that very biased…caravans & motorhomes only!!! Won’t be going back there!!!
I will bypass Hervey Bay another council that does not get it, there are plenty of other towns that have free camping and they are the towns i will support by stopping a night or two and buying diesel and supplies .
What’s all the crying about ?.. We’ve all been around long enough to know, fully well, that nothing is free …. some-one has to pay. The council is suggesting the installation of a dump point so one could safely assume It Will Happen.
$10-00 is nothing when one considers the labour costs to maintain our national parks and council parks.
If showers and toilets were installed I’d pay a small fee for use of the shower .. $2 could be a good contribution to the capital and maintenance costs.
I am a big believer in User Pays ….
I’d happily pay $10 for a shower, a toilet, a safe place to leave the van (while you spend money in the town); $10 for a piece of grass and to help pay the wages of a fee collector; no way.
I’ve just been to Hervey Bay. NO FREE CAMPING in the town itself- and Ill be damned if I can find any within 25km? Who says theres free camping here? Sorry but I will not spend ANYWHERE that forces you into high priced caravan parks. And they are NOT Grey Nomad/ Caravan friendly. Scarness was running a discount scheme for self contained campervans whilst I was there.$15 per night. When I rang the lady said this was a council initiative for OVERSEAS backpackrs only- vans no bigger than a Juicy too. So …Grey Nomad friendly. I THINK NOT. They just want our money. Perhaps someone should tell them backpackers spend a lot less than we do. So goodbye Hervey Bay!
They are loosing out, we don’t mind paying for showers and electric, water.
Some places just ask $5 -$10 per night. But I’m not paying if no services are provided.
Just come down the Bruce Highway,seeGin Gin, Childers has free overnight stay,also Howard has 20 hour stay,sure that Hervey Bay could have one to.
Plus there is Apple Tree creek between Childers and Gin Gin and Wallum something or other between Apple Tree Creek and Bundy. That’s one way to bring nomads / vehicle based tourists into your area.
Quite sad there are no free camps. Fraser Coast is the big looser plenty of signs offering $500 fines for camping simply means we drive on to a more hospitable area to stay the night and resupply the next day. Reminds me so much of Margaret River in WA – elitist, pompous fools, well guess what you can keep it. Ta ta
stayed at Yowah caravan park, $8.00 per night 4 unpowered, but hot showers + toilets,
$10 per vehicle pn, in Maryborough QLD near the airport. Self contained only, but we did see one or two vans that weren’t! There is a shower/Toilet block behind the playing field next to it. If you have your own porta loo on board and shower available at the site, Wouldn’t that do to be able to stay there. There’s water available and a dump point too at the site? We use a portable waste container on our van. Don’t feel it necessary at present to attach one permanently. And what’s wrong with paying a little something for a site like this or even a few D’s for a Donation camp ? There’s a few camps in Vic that now take water from their lakes or dams and pipe it up to a facility a little further away for flushable toilets, and also hot showers using solar to heat the water. 3 minute showers I think they are. But you can press again to use another 3. Brilliant idea. We always leave something when we stay at Donation camps. Because of we don’t all do this, then there will be no camps for us all to use! Simple
Yes
Are there any open now in 2023
$10 a night per Vehicle sounds good. Yeah yeah free camping anywhere is great but if you need to pull up on your travels, this is price is ok. The one in Maryborough is $10 a night per vehicle, water, dump point, available too, and there is a shower and toilet behind the oval next to it. Very short walk. Self contained vehicles only.