After lighting the fire at his campsite, Sydney resident Andre Laudams enjoys looking up at the stars—a rare sight in the city due to light pollution. “Getting to see the stars at night is one of the best things about camping,” he says. But he worries about proposed fee changes in New South Wales national parks. “I don’t think we should pay to get that peace and solitude.”
Laudams is among many campers uneasy about the government’s plans to revise campsite pricing. The aim is to reduce “ghost bookings,” where people reserve campsites but fail to show up. Yet some fear these changes could make camping less accessible, altering the “classless” nature of enjoying the outdoors.
Michael Atkinson, featured on Alone Australia, voiced his concern on social media: “We should be encouraging people to get outdoors, not making it a middle-class and above activity.”
The new pricing won’t mean increases across the board—some sites could become cheaper—but there’s debate over whether the government has struck the right balance.
The NSW government describes the current pricing system as “inconsistent and complex” and wants to simplify it. Their reforms target three issues identified through consultations with 200,000 park visitors: ghost bookings, understaffed campgrounds, and the need for better facility maintenance.
Currently, campsites charge a flat fee for the site plus extra per adult and child. The proposed system would use flat rates for low and high seasons depending on the services offered, adjusted annually with inflation (CPI). Campers would get up to an 80% refund if they cancel.
The government notes that camping fees haven’t risen since 2017.
Grahame Douglas of the National Parks Association of NSW supports simplifying pricing but questions some aspects of the Labor government’s plan. “I’m not convinced the number of tiers is correct — some campsites fall into grey areas,” he says, adding that the confusion has led to “misguided criticism.”
Douglas says overall cost changes will “definitely vary” between sites.
For instance, Saltwater Creek campground on the far south coast, which offers barbecues and picnic tables, could be a tier 3 site. Currently, it costs $24 a night for two people with a tent plus $12 per extra adult and $6 per child. That totals $36 for a family of four, $49 for six people, or $74 for six adults.
Under the new plan, Saltwater Creek would have a flat fee of $36 in high season and $20 in low season.
This flat fee system might hit campers who have been “fudging” bookings by underreporting the number of people to save money.
Laudams’ favorite spot, a secluded campsite on Abercrombie River National Park’s edge with only a pit toilet, likely falls under tier 2. It could rise from $6 per night to $22 in high season and $13 in low season.
Meanwhile, Bents Basin campground west of Sydney, which features hot showers, would cost $89 per night in peak season and $52 in low season.
Douglas notes, “Off-season prices look reasonable, but the high-season fees might discourage some campers. Is that the goal?”
The government’s main reason for changing fees is to discourage ghost bookings—an issue in NSW and Victoria.
Laudams argues ghost bookings result from over-bureaucratisation. He suggests scrapping the booking system entirely, returning to the old days when campers just showed up and hoped for a spot.
While some popular sites had booking systems before, they were expanded during the pandemic as camping surged in popularity.
Government data shows visitation to NSW national parks has increased 49% over the past decade.
Atkinson, the Alone Australia contestant, wants to eliminate bookings for sites that didn’t require them pre-Covid and increase campsite availability instead of raising fees.
Douglas says the National Parks Association is pushing to protect 50 new areas under the National Parks and Wildlife Act but acknowledges the booking system is needed due to high demand and for safety reassurance in remote areas.
Victoria made camping free last year to ease cost-of-living pressures but saw ghost bookings rise sharply.
UNSW consumer behavior expert Professor Nitika Garg says this was predictable: “When there’s no cost, consumers don’t commit firmly to plans.”
Last year, Booderee National Park near Jervis Bay introduced a flat fee structure. Camper Luca Marelli says he’s noticed fewer ghost bookings since, even though it’s slightly more expensive—around $80 a night for his family of four.
“We camp not just for cost, but for the experience, the beaches, and the campsite itself,” Marelli says.
Garg believes NSW’s reforms could help reduce ghost bookings by better matching supply with demand, lowering fees in low season when ghost bookings are less costly.
She also suggests the government could appeal to Australian values by encouraging respectful behavior rather than shaming campers: “Be a mate for a mate.”
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