Victoria’s state government has decided to end its free camping program following widespread problems with ghost bookings and rubbish dumping at government-run campsites.
In the latest budget announcement, officials confirmed that starting July 1, free camping will be replaced by a half-price fee structure at Parks Victoria’s 131 paid campgrounds, continuing through June 2027.
The free camping scheme, launched in October 2024, faced significant challenges, including campers not showing up despite fully booked sites online, and increased dumping of waste.
Scott Parker, chief executive of Caravan and Residential Parks Victoria, criticized the initiative as “poorly considered” and harmful to private caravan park owners.
“Ghost camping was an outcome we anticipated and clearly communicated to the government during the policy rollout,” Parker said, adding that the policy conflicted with the government’s competitive neutrality principles.
He proposed that a better alternative would have been to provide vouchers to campers for use at private caravan parks, matching the discounts offered at government campgrounds. Parker argued this would have given Victorians more choice, boosted small businesses, supported regional tourism, and avoided the inefficiencies of the free booking system.
Victorian National Parks Association executive director Matt Ruchel acknowledged the free camping program caused difficulties for smaller communities but welcomed the new half-price fee plan as a reasonable compromise.
Ruchel noted that camping fees make up only a small part of Parks Victoria’s funding, emphasizing the need for state support to manage park environments responsibly.
Nationals MP Melina Bath, representing eastern Victoria and areas including Wilsons Promontory National Park, condemned the free camping initiative as “systematically flawed” and harmful to regional tourism.
Bath reported hearing from frustrated campers that although campsites appeared fully booked online, only about half of the bookings resulted in actual arrivals. She said this lack of visitors negatively affected local businesses and town facilities.
“Local towns have experienced a drop in patronage and sales,” she said.
The half-price camping fees will be introduced with staggered bookings to manage high demand in popular spots like Tidal River at Wilsons Promontory.
Free camping at government-operated sites officially ends on July 1.
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