The Victorian Government has finally named the first six sites where public access will be granted on Crown land river frontage licensed by farmers.
People will be able to access the campsites along the Goulburn River north of Melbourne at Seymour, Tallarook, Murchison and Molesworth from tomorrow.
Another 50 camping areas are expected to open up by mid-late April.
From a grey nomad perspective, the first six campsites named are not great news in that they don’t allow vehicle access.
But those who camp in their vehicles have not been forgotten.
The peak body for recreational anglers, VRFish, said some of the land made available in coming weeks should be more accessible.
“In the future we’d like to see some vehicles gain access to some of the new ones … because we have got an elderly community out there,” VR Fish chairman Rob Loats told the ABC. “There are a lot of people who love to drive in, and take their camping gear in, and set up a nice camp and enjoy the environment and the fishing,”
Mr Loats said his group had the Victorian government ‘extremely strongly’ and would educate campers about the specific rules that apply to the new campsites.
“Every now and again you see signs go up, roads closed, sites closed to access so this is a really big issue for us … to maintain access and improve access,” he told the ABC. “This will open up more regional tourism, more investment in regions and provide more jobs.”
The Government’s plan to open up some riverfront crown land to campers has proved a controversial one. Farmers who pay a licence fee to use and manage the land have been vocal in expressing concerns about public access.
They fear campers may pollute the land they used for livestock grazing with human waste and rubbish. They also expressed concerns campers would light fires, and interfere with livestock.
However, Fishing Minister Melissa Horne said a system had been set up for landholders to report any problems.
“We’ve set up a 24-hour hotline staffed by Victorian Fishers Authority officers to report misconduct around river frontage camping, as well as continuing our work with Victoria Police to ensure everyone treats these sites with respect.” she said.
Great idea BUT when you look at roadside stops the rubbish is disgraceful bins overflowing or not present. HOW can this be managed with these riverside places being opened up….
Surely not the farmers responsibility!!
About time we regain access to what is rightfully ours – now if we can just get the State to legislate that all farmers MUST fence off the river frontage to stop livestock from polluting the rivers and streams that would be great.
It is not really rightfully yours John. The farmer pays the Government to use this land so should you not have to pay to use the same land? What about the kangaroos and wild horses and various other animals that pollute the waterways, how are you going to stop that? Livestock mainly drink if they have access to the river and do not go there to specifically to pollute as humans will.
If you can’t take a (preferably self-contained) vehicle in, what are people going to use for a toilet? I think this is one of the most ridiculous ideas I’ve ever heard. As if the farmers don’t have enough to worry about. Now they’ll have people crapping behind trees, leaving piles of rubbish, lighting fires and taking potshots at the livestock. Typical shortsighted government idiocy.
They don’t even look after the tracks they have now This is on the Murray at Cobram. Hasn’t been graded in 5 yrs
Are you serious?? If there is no vehicular access, how are people able to camp on this land?. How will they remove their rubbish? Who is going to provide toilets, etc, etc, etc? This is the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard of. Whoever came up with this idea needs their head read!!!!!
There will be rubbish, toilet discards and dumps all over because the tenters mostly
don’t have facilities with them. It would need to be a condition of entry that campers
have toilet and rubbish management facilities with them. Otherwise the farmers will raise legitimate complaint and the whole thing will be shut down on health grounds.
Typical Victorian Government, ruin livelihoods for a few votes. How long will these beautiful riverside spots stay beautiful? It would appear that whomever was in charge of the Health portfolio in Victoria is now in charge of the Land and Environment portfolio.