Australia’s long-standing tradition of camping is facing a significant affordability challenge as holiday park operators and state governments raise prices for basic camping sites to levels comparable with house rentals.
Adventurer and filmmaker Mike Atkinson, known as Outback Mike, recently highlighted concerns over a proposal to increase camping fees in New South Wales (NSW) national parks. Under the proposed changes, some campgrounds could charge up to $97 per night or $679 per week.
To put this in perspective, the average weekly rent for a three-bedroom home in several Australian cities is as follows: $550 in Adelaide, $550 in Melbourne, $635 in Brisbane, $630 in Darwin, and $518 in Hobart. Only Sydney’s average rent, at $760 per week, surpasses the proposed camping fees.
Atkinson made his point in a social media video filmed at the Woody Head Camping Area in Bundjalung National Park on the NSW North Coast. He noted, “You can rent a three-bedroom house (down the road) with garage for $600, so it’s almost $100 cheaper to rent a three-bedroom house with garage outside the park, as opposed to a small patch of grass here in the park.”
He also estimated that the 89 campsites at Woody Head could generate $55,000 in revenue per week, excluding additional income from cabins.
This trend is not limited to NSW. Other campground operators across the country are also increasing fees. For example, Mount Gambier in South Australia charges $64 per night for an unpowered site at Blue Lake Holiday Park. Discovery Park in Braybrook, Victoria, charges $80 per night for a powered site. Gold Coast Holiday Park sets the price at $65 per night for unpowered sites, while Big4 Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast charges an average of $84 per night for caravan sites.
Atkinson warned that camping costs are unlikely to decrease, raising concerns that camping may become a luxury experience, accessible mainly to wealthier individuals. This shift could exclude younger people and those outside the middle class from enjoying this traditional outdoor activity.
The NSW government’s proposed fee structure categorizes campsites into six tiers based on available facilities, with nightly rates ranging from $22 to $89 during high season. The proposal also includes linking fees to the consumer price index to ensure annual increases and applying seasonal pricing.
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