CAMPERS would need permission from lessee farmers to pitch a tent on Crown lands by the Murray, under a Victorian Liberal Party election promise to “give power back to landholders”.
And lessees would have the power to revoke permission if there was “a reasonable belief” campers had broken any rules.
Liberal Member for Northern Victoria Wendy Lovell said the new plan would address “the many failures” of the existing Land Act 1958 and regulations she says were “imposed on lessees” from September last year.
She said it would address landholder concerns, ranging from biosecurity to personal safety and the potential threat of litigation, related to lease Crown land on more than 17,000km of river frontage across the state.
Last September, the State Government announced it was creating more designated camping areas on Crown water frontages throughout Victoria.
It said campers in these areas, which are often leased by agricultural landholders, would have to abide by rules covering camp distances from the water and any nearby residences, the use of campfires and general behaviour including a ban on dogs, obligations to not interfere with livestock, fencing or gates, and maximum stays of 14 nights.
The Liberals have not announced any changes to these rules, but say lessees would be able to revoke camping permission if there was a reasonable belief that any had been broken.
Penalties for campers who breached the rules could include the potential for seizure of fishing and camping equipment, vehicles and vessels.
Recreational users would continue to have access to river frontages and have reasonable access for camping, Ms Lovell said.
But she also said the suitability of sites that had already been identified for camping would be reassessed if the Liberals and Nationals won power at the November election, and that existing land leases would be reviewed and reassessed “to enhance the experience for the fishers, campers and adjacent leaseholders”.
Victorian Liberal Leader Matthew Guy said existing regulations allowed “a camper free-for-all” and were a threat to biosecurity on some farms.
“It is clear we need to strike a balance between access to public space and the potential threat to our livestock industry,” Mr Guy said.
“This policy provides better protection of waterways and land as well as protections for licence holders, their stock and property.”
