A free camping site could soon be established in the Wendouree, perched on the outskirts of Ballarat in Victoria.
Ballarat City Council is considering a 12-month ‘trial’ that would allow campervans and motorhomes.that have been certified ‘self-contained’ so stay for little of no cost at Pioneer Park.
However, the Ballarat Courier newspaper reports that local caravan park owners have voiced serious concerns about the impact of the proposal. They say a free camp might lead to a build up of litter and waste on the site, an influx of homeless and needy people, and visitors residing illegally.
They are also fears that non self-contained vehicles will use the site and there will be a lack of staff to monitor or manage the site.
Co-owner of the BIG4 Ballarat Goldfields Holiday Park, Annette Terill, told the newspaper she did not believe that the absence of a free camping site in Ballarat was having an adverse effect on tourism.
She said there were already four free camping zones within 25 kilometres of Ballarat, including one in Slaty Creek, Iron Furnace, Smythesdale Gardens Reserve and the Enfield State Park. Ms Terrill said there was also an unpowered site at Lake Burrumbeet, which offers camping for about $10 a night.
“It doesn’t matter if it is going to be a low cost or no cost, it is going to cost somebody to maintain this and it will most likely be ratepayers,” Ms Terill said. “Caravan parks in town have to comply with strict regulations, they employ local people and spend their money within the town.”
According to the council’s report on the proposal, council officers can also shut down the site at any time during the trial if it is found to be having a damaging financial impact on the viability of existing caravan parks
The Courier reports that the proposal, being tabled this week by the council, involves a $4000 12-month trial where existing caravan park operators allow visitors to dispose of their waste at their parks. If the trial is approved, the council will supply 400 vouchers valued at $10 each which will be given to pay caravan park owners every time their dump point is used by visitors.
Motorhomer Grant Tillett told the Courier that Ballarat was completely inaccessible as far as a mobile tourists were concerned.
“What is happening now is that tourists are passing through because they can’t find a place to park at the information centre,” he said. “There aren’t any places for them to park their large-scale vehicles overnight and there aren’t free services for them to dump their waste so they will say ‘to hell with it’ and move on to the next town.”
Comment below
Are these concerns also being voiced by other local businesses, eg coles,woolies local gas stations etc.
Valid comment Jack! I know that personally, if I am paying $30-$40/ night at a caravan park, I won’t be doing any shopping, or treating myself to cappuccinos and I will make the “cut and colour” wait another week or so. The money only stretches so far.
Yes Jack, again only one business in the chamber of commerce is complaining the Caravan Park, let’s hope the other also get there say in this matter.
When my wife and I lived in Magpie, ten minutes south of Ballarat, we could find nowhere near Ballarat to dump our sewage when we returned from a trip away. We always had to ensure that we returned home with empty waste tanks or use an awkward system of pipes to dump it into our septic tank. When we visit Ballarat now, from our home in Mt Evelyn and want to stay overnight it will be possible to leave our fifth wheeler for a few hours or overnight so we can visit friends, share a meal and do business in town without the van in tow, I think it’s an admirable idea! What’s more the caravan parks will never get our business for such a trip as we’d just come and return home in the one day if we had to visit. It’s a bit of an effort to do that but it is possible, four or five hours driving in one day. Congratulations Ballarat!
Isn’t it amazing how it is always the caravan park owners who are the only ones to object to any free camps. Most of the areas are already being looked after by councils for the use of locals so generally little extra cost are involved.
So the caravan park operator is feeling threatened by a loss of income.
If the cp owner has a whinge to Council it will be a foregone conclusion as to the end result.
It is interesting how some Councils have banned free/cheap camping to suit the whims of cp operators.
In doing so they are creating a dangerous legal precedence in that the Council are offering protection to a specific business by eliminating the opposition.
Therefore the same protection should be offered to all other business ventures within that council jurisdiction who feel that their business is being “threatened” when an opposing business venture is established in the town.
It will only take one legal challenge to bring the whole “Protection of caravan parks” undone.
How do you consider free camps to be the opposition. They are paid for by the rate payers of the local area and make no attempt to make money. Opposition would be council setting up a new caravan park and running it as a business.
lol , guys ( and gals ) , l would.nt be rushing to “Pioneer Park ” its next to the freeway , down wind from the sewerage farm about 500m away and is next to one of the highest crime rate area’s in Ballarat
My advice , ears plugs, peg for nose and a shotgun / really good insurance
Oh dear now we have a new worry when a freedom camp is established, it will attract the homeless. This is the same town that refused to install a sponsored dump point as the caravan parks spokesman (woman actually) claimed the installation would be against competitive neutrality principals. I just shake my head in disbelief at some of the crap (excuse the pun) they come up with.
I believe in WA you are only allowed free camps 25 k from towns.
Whining whinging park owners are at it again……People Power will prevail I love Free
Omg. Have they not (cp) got it yet. Not everyone wants to free camp. Those that do would not stay at their park. They will move on and not spend in the town, simple. Those that want to do cp’s probably would stop they may spend in town if cp is not too expensive. Why not be a bit different and embrace free camping. You may be surprised, the town may benefit
Lets not forget that the Big 4 caravan park chain started off in Ballarat and they don’t like competition especially if it free
One its not free. It costs the local rate payers money to operate the free camp for you. Secondly it can hardly be considered opposition. It would be opposition if council set up a new caravan park and attempted to run the business at a profit.
I have travelled Australia for many years now, many times when speaking to a fellow traveller and you tell them where we come from the answer will be very similar each time ” oh Ballarat, we give it a miss because no free or cheap camping, no dump point etc, no parking for vans in CBD, we move on.”
Is it still available? Can we park our motorhome there for one night in December 2017?