Victoria’s free camping program, which has been troubled by fake bookings and widespread rubbish dumping, is being scrapped by the state government.
As outlined in the latest state budget, the government will reintroduce a 50% discount model for bookings at Parks Victoria’s 131 paid, government-run campgrounds, starting from July and continuing through to June 2027.
Launched in October 2024, the free camping initiative faced numerous challenges, including unoccupied but fully booked campsites and environmental damage due to irresponsible waste disposal.
Scott Parker, CEO of Caravan and Residential Parks Victoria, criticised the policy, calling it “a poorly considered initiative” that negatively impacted private caravan park operators.
“Our regional communities and tourism economies did not benefit from this scheme,” Mr Parker said.
He added that the issue of “ghost camping”—bookings made but never used—had been predicted and flagged with the government early on, arguing the policy also conflicted with the government’s own principles of competitive neutrality.
According to Mr Parker, better alternatives were available:
“Offering vouchers to campers for private caravan parks, equal in value to the government campground discounts, would have supported small businesses, boosted regional tourism, and eliminated inefficiencies in the booking system.”
‘Systematically Flawed’ Scheme
Matt Ruchel, Executive Director of the Victorian National Parks Association, acknowledged the initiative had caused difficulties in some regional communities but said moving to a 50% fee structure could be a workable solution.
“When people pay, they’re more likely to show up,” he said.
Ruchel also noted that camping fees contribute only a small portion of Parks Victoria’s budget and that relying on high visitor numbers to generate income isn’t always aligned with environmental preservation. “Some sites need state funding to manage parks responsibly, rather than depending solely on tourism revenue,” he added.
Melina Bath, Nationals MP for eastern Victoria, which includes Wilsons Promontory National Park, called the program “systematically flawed” and said it had harmed the local tourism economy.
“Free camping has failed on multiple fronts,” she said, noting that residents had reported full bookings online while only half the sites were actually occupied—impacting both local businesses and public facilities.
“This has led to a drop in visitor spending in our towns.”
Free camping at government-managed sites will officially end on July 1.
To manage demand, the return to half-priced campsite fees will be rolled out gradually at high-traffic locations such as Tidal River in Wilsons Promontory.
