A council in NSW’s far north-west is pressing ahead with a change to the rules at its campgrounds … which could be seen as both good news and bad news for grey nomads.
The good news is that Walgett Shire says the amount of time that visitors can stay at the Collarenebri Campground, Burren Junction Bore Bath Campground, and Alex Trevallion Park Campground is being raised to seven days … and in its latest council meeting it was confirmed that new signage is being manufactured to reflect that change.
The bad news for those staying at the previously free sites is that a fee of $10 per night will now apply at each campground.
Grey nomads travelling in Outback NSW can now stay longer at some campsites. PIC: Mazza
The original decision was made back in July when Mayor Jasen Ramien said the adjustments would provide greater flexibility for travellers, while helping the council maintain the facilities.
“These campgrounds are valued by visitors and are also important assets for our local communities,” he said. “The modest nightly fee will assist council with the ongoing cost of maintaining the facilities and ensuring they remain clean, accessible and available for future visitors.”
Mayor Ramien said extending the maximum stay from the existing arrangements to seven nights would particularly benefit people travelling with caravans, recreational vehicles and camping equipment.
“Two or three nights is often not enough time for visitors to properly experience our communities,” he said. “A seven-night stay gives people the opportunity to slow down, visit local attractions, purchase fuel and supplies, enjoy local businesses and spend more time in the wider district.”
The mayor said the longer stay represented a reasonable balance, giving visitors greater flexibility while ensuring the campgrounds continued to operate as short-term visitor accommodation.
“We know how important these facilities are to Collarenebri, Burren Junction, Lightning Ridge and the broader Walgett Shire community,” Mayor Ramien said. “This decision is about welcoming visitors, supporting our local towns and ensuring council can continue to look after these facilities properly … we encourage travellers to stay a little longer, explore our communities and enjoy the hospitality that Walgett Shire has to offer.”
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I think that is reasonable amount if toilets showers are provided. And they and the grounds are maintained to a good standard.
Happy to pay $10 per night. Will there be donation boxes or will we have to pay on line?
Hope it’s on line otherwise the donation box will get taken by some scumbag
Not if it weighs more than a hundred kilos !!
Probably most if not all
I guess I’ll be visiting different towns in the area that still have free camps. If I wanted to pay for a site I’ll go somewhere with power and water.
I feel for the small businesses that this councile has failed
Where do you get power & water for 10 bucks ?
Where uis there a caravan park for a resonable price?
I don’t think the local business will miss someone who won’t pay $10 for a safe site.
No
If its got dunnys and showers $10 is cheap
Yep
I am happy to contribute $10 these 0laces cost someone so we should do our share.
Not happy was free now we pay what for a bit of tar. And we could stay as long as we liked.
Move on then….
At our expense.
Happy to pay the $10 per night for the great facilities. Stayed at Collarenebri recently and paid for our stay.
I’m happy to pay $10 a night, it supports the community, keeps facilities supported and is still supporting travellers.
Definitely if it helps the upkeep of the camp grounds
Just pay the tiny amount and stop whining!
We would be very happy to pay $10 per night , it helps maintain the facility, we are currently planning a trip to NSW next year, and looking forward to stopping at some of these places.
Great idea. Always looking for a nice place to stay
It seems very fair to contribute to the campsite maintenance.
Typical, money grabbing local councils. Fair dinkum we bring dollars to their towns now it’s costing more.
Reduce your perks, eg coffee, driver’s, lunches, whatever just don’t keep taking money off the travellers.
Does the new levy( tax) mean that we get power, water, showers and toilets now?
Maybe the Council is tired of subsidising Caravanners and campers looking for the cheap holiday at the locals expense.. User pays!
You are joking aren’t you??
When we are staying in a small town we visit the local grocery, butcher, bakery, coffee shop, hardware and more.
A small outlay by the Council will see healthier traders in their towns.
$10 is mentioned as a token amount, it would more than cover power and water and amenities which are already established.
Travellers also visit tourist spots and utilise businesses like mechanics etc.
The benefits far outweigh any loss.
Aircon in a van will cost approximately. $1.00 per hour for power.
try between .25 and .50 cents
How long do you think the fee (tax) will stay at $10.00. Until the next Council budget!
Good and spot on assessment ANN,thanks .
Well said. Would these wingers be prepared to open up their home driveways and front yards to travellers, use their loo and leave their rubbish behind for free?
Yes, local councillors are going to retire to Majorca on your $10.
What a way to kill off local small businesses in country towns. If ur gonna start charging then word will get out amongst the grey nomads and nobody will stop there except to visit the toilets or stretch their legs
Only the tight arsses will whinge. $10 a night is bloody cheap and if you can’t afford it you shouldn’t be towing a van.
Are grey nomads really all that bloody minded about getting everything for free? The majority of comments here do not support your position.
And we would all be happy to see those greedy, grasping grifters to move on. So a win win really!
Great idea if the facilities are upkept and bins emptied, if you can’t afford $10 a night, you can’t afford to travel.
That sounds very fair
You cannot rely on the honesty system to collect fees you need onsite caretakers as I have seen people drive in in the afternoon and leave next morning with out paying
No that’s why we look for free stay. Look around the town buy groceries and move on.
I think that’s pretty fair. $10 a night is still far more cheaper than a caravan park. I’d pay it.
$10 a night. I would gladly pay for a safe spot with like minded travellers. The council has stated that the money will go to keeping the sites clean and general upkeep after all the collection of $10 will take some time even to replace the signs. I recently stayed at a showground where the charge was $30 a night whether or not you required power and water which was OK if you were in a large caravan or motor home running your AC but very expensive for a tent or rooftop tent not requiring either.
More than happy to pay , visit collerenerbri often and spend many dollars around town , but the great artesian bores , clean showers and toilets that are provided should not be taken for granted and $10 is a small price to pay. This may stop some grey nomads setting up in these camps for many weeks at a time, sadly though if it’s an honesty system , many will not pay, ( shame on them
Will free camp as is the Australin way to travel Australia .will do away with caravan parks.
Fine by us if the site is ckean and regularly monitore by councils.
Typical of all councils, they’re all broke because they’re full of parasites getting paid for nothing so they have to keep stealing from the people!
Hi everyone, we all travel with our vans and 4x4s together worth at least 100 to two hundred thousand dollars, why would $10 a night be such a issue, let’s support this, things need to be paid for
And many of us who haven’t spent that much money on their rig etc. but still $10 a night is a fair price with power, water and amenities.
I agree, that was just a example of what many spend but not everyone, it just a example of $10 is very fair, thankyou for your kind comment
They’re generally just as good if not better than a caravan park. It’s a good idea or nationalise caravan parks and have set fees according to a grading sytem of parks.
Would be happy to pay. It’s only tight A***** who want the freebees
I have stayed in Alex Trevilian Park quite a number of times when it was Apex Park and recently unde its new name. Last time there campdites were clean, toilets had Ben refurbished water garden now has a fountain and abundant birdlike. Furthe improvements ar still needed and the one concerning me is the dump point.
I am fully aware these sites cost ratepayers money to maintain and improve and would have no problem with a $10 dollar a night to stay in a comfortable safe campsite with all amenities provided. There is even a free to use BBQ in the main area. Provision of a donation box will remind campers of this fee. However at Kingston SE in SA there is an excellent site very close to town and a Ranger comes round early each morning to check if you have paid the fee, can pay at vending machine. Last time I was there it was $5 per night and we’ll worth it. This system ensured all travellers paid towards the site upkeep and the policing method made sure of that
For me…NO. I’m self sufficient and have never paid to sleep anywhere…However, for peace of mind at popular spots, $10 per vehicle (not per person) would be acceptable…
The councils/ government waste tax payers money on all sorts of selfish ventures. Is it too much to expect that these services be provided for no cost. It’s completely absurd to request people to pay $10 then to pay for enforcement costs.. just another stupid move on the chess board..
So true, I lived in a popular coastal town for decades before I hit the road and saw firsthand the monetary waste by the local council… much of it is just stupidity (not the workers, it’s council planning)…
Not really ‘self sufficient‘ if you still need rate payers to provide and upkeep a safe off road parking area, probably using public facilities wherever you go. Pay your way like everyone else.
I am
Pleased to see that the majority here agree that $10 per night is reasonable, fair, and excellent value for the service being provided.
I am, however, continually astonished by the vocal and bitter minority who insist that campgrounds with toilets and showers are their free BY RIGHT for as long as they want to stay.
“But we spend money in the community” doesn’t cut it. If you’re happy to spend money in the local community, great. Start by paying a measly $10 per night for the facilities where you are staying.
I mean, really, you’re towing a van around with a big 4wd. How far will $10 tow that van in 2026? It will buy you 3 litres of diesel which will get you about 10 miles I would reckon. You’re not gonna do a 15,000 mile lap of Australia by saving money by stiffing local communities. Pay up boomers.
Well said. User pays keeps the economy moving! Don’t expect regional communities to subsidise your travel costs. Support small towns as many of the businesses are operated by hard working families.
Well said, agree entirely.
If I was running the tourist bureau I would do everything I could to attract tourists. I certainly would not be spitting in their eye!! Some towns and shires spend fortunes on publicity to attract the money that comes with tourists.
Sounds really good aswe do prefer extended stays
Is that $10pp or per van?
Good point
Yes good point. As a single person am l paying the same as a couple or family?
Do these site’s have power and water?
Yes, it’s very reasonable and there should be no argument against it.
How long will it stay at $10
And will they be cleaned as stated or is it just a money grab
Small towns rely on passing trade to survive and many towns die when the trade stops. Council beware you could be slicing your own throat as many before you have, just saying
Being self contained, I’m inclined to find free camps. I’d rather spend my money with local businesses than a Shires money grab.
Steve B agrees – a Shire Council with a sensible approach, for a win-win solution. Surely no G/Nomads will object …?
🙂
Make it $55 if u stay 7 nights, attracts the long stay to help local spending. U must have daily cleaning of site including toilet n showers.
If facilities are provided, happy to pay this very reasonable amount. Spent two days at AT Park in Walgett last year. We are in a motorhome, rode our bikes all over, ate out and enjoyed the space of their showers and toilets at the park. If a donation box had been available, we would have gladly put in. Still, the main issue will be how to ensure people pay as we’ve seen many self entitled types nick off without paying. Really peeves us off. On our Walgett stay, we waited ages one day to use the showers. Two families totalling about 11 adults and kids took over the amenities area while they all had showers, then left. This to us was an abuse, so it will always be a challenge for Councils to oversee fair and proper use of such facilities. The majority of travellers welcome such facilities and are happy to pay accordingly. Fair call Walgett Shire.
As long as there are billionaires in this country I will not support any extra payments for something that used to be free.
Seriously. People are bitching about $10 per night. We have stayed at the park they are talking about. Council workers come around everyday to empty the bins and clean the toilet blocks. Hot showers are provided. When we were there the hot springs facility was free also. Move on or even better, go home.
There really are some miserable mean minded people around expecting free access to these facilities – sometimes I am ashamed of my GREY hair because of them!
Just keeping the upkeep of these facilities should not cost local taxpayers.
Money spent locally by visitors does not benefit the councils directly.
Stop moaning and pay or don’t stay.
we have stayed at burren junction a couple of years running, as there was always someone to collect the $10/night fee, which i didn’t think excessive. they had receipt book etc. so i hope i wasnt just funding their holiday
Very reasonable price. Stay off the road with your $$$$$ rigs if you can’t contribute to local councils. Of course there is a cost to maintain by council and happy to pay rather than $60 per night by caravan parks.
We are pensioners and do not see the $10 fee as prohibitive. You are contributing to the upkeep of the community by paying that.
The money we spend at the IGA, Pub and on fuel is great, but we see the shire fee as a maintenance fee. We are ok with it.
Looking at the photos of the Trevallian park on Wikicamps, $10 a night for such an attractive setting with water, showers and toilets is absolute rock bottom – stop whinging!! And to be able to stay for 7 days – magic.
Well said