Still Time To Dump Disastrous Camping Policy
Spin and an ongoing lack of substance mark the Victorian Government’s latest effort to sell its appalling camping legislation on licensed riverfront land.
The revised proposal for up to 27 ‘test sites’ is in stark contrast to its original election promise to open up 17,000kms of licensed Crown land river frontages to camping.
But Member for Western Victoria, Bev McArthur, says the whole thing remains a shambolic disaster.
“This appears a massive backdown on a total flop of an idea – yet it remains a live policy which will start in three weeks,” Mrs McArthur said.
“The regulations are even further shrouded in mystery.
“Farmers are still at the behest of an incompetent Minister who has proven neither ability, nor care, to comprehend the impact on farmers.
“The promise of ‘hundreds’ more sites to follow can only mean one thing: land licensed to farmers will still be exposed to camping for a consecutive 28 day period with all the obvious associated issues,” Mrs McArthur said.
The Environment Minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, said she is ‘finalising new regulations’ and that ‘Camping will only take place on suitable sites.’
“Given the Minister thought 17,000kms of licensed farmland was `suitable’, one wonders what her new interpretation of ‘suitable’ will look like,” Mrs McArthur said.
“The emphasis on the revised formula seems placed in the hands of environmental and aboriginal concerns – and not with farmers.
“The details remain a complete mystery – so that on September 1st - we can only expect regulations that will continue to forfeit farmer rights.”
PAEC hearings confirmed farmers will not be given support to overcome insurance problems – given insurers don’t want to be exposed to the litany of issues vagrants and campers impose.
“Campers bring the burden of fires, pollution, human defaecation issues, massive biosecurity risks plus privacy and lifestyle infringements.
“Why is it that insurers can see the problems – but the Labor Government can’t?”
27 sites on the Goulburn, Broken, Ovens, Campaspe, Loddon and Murray Rivers are being assessed for the 1st September start.
“The silent revision gives farmers no reason for comfort,” Mrs McArthur said.
“We have seen no detail in relation to wood collection and campfires, any alteration to the 28-days camping period, or methods to identify who is camping on the licensed land.
“The Government’s solution is a 24-hotline to 13FISH.
“How is that going to extinguish an out of control campfire in summer, or stop raging parties potentially 100 metres from a landowner’s house for 28 days?
“If the government believes free camping is such a priority, then it should enable that in the existing publicly managed government sites.
“Instead of locking up more public parks and forests, they should open those up for camping.
“Such a simple change could end all this angst for farmers.”
10 August 2021