Aussies to cop $322 fine for 'entitled' camping trend

"It is now an offence [unless you have] a reasonable excuse."

It's the 'annoying' camping trend on the rise — Aussie's booking multiple spots despite just needing one so they can enjoy the privacy of an almost empty campground. 

But now, one state is cracking down on people who try and pull this sneaky move in a bid to make the outdoors a more accessible holiday option for everyone.

The trend has been dubbed 'ghost camping', and it was first brought to the public's attention by Aussie dad Michael Atkinson (@outback_mike), who called it out on social media a few months ago.

"Do we even need a booking system?" he asked in an Instagram reel, before saying the current one "isn't working well" and is "no longer needed."

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Image: Parks QLD/NSWNP

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The 'entitled' camping trend

In the clip, he shows viewers around an empty campground and says, "This is a fully booked campground in Kosciusko National Park. Basically, this is number 19 and I think there’s more than 20 sites here and only one in five actually has someone in them. But the whole place is booked out."

Mike's video resonated with many Aussie campers who were equally frustrated by the trend. "We have experienced this so many times, too!" one person replied. "Pretty sad people could be out using the spots," someone else echoed.

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Now Queensland is taking the lead in addressing the problem by issuing fines through Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI) to campers who are caught doing it.

"It is now an offence to not attend a booked campsite or to put up tents and leave them unattended for more than 24 hours without a reasonable excuse, such as in an emergency," a DESI spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia.

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"Depriving genuine campers"

The change has been brought about as DESI says the issue has been "depriving genuine campers the opportunity to enjoy" national parks within the state.

Following the change of regulations, campers in Queensland will now be subject to an immediate fine of $322.60 and a maximum penalty of $3,226, in addition to potential legal action.

Since its introduction last month, park rangers have been keeping an eye on campsites and making sure that campers are sticking to the rules.

'Plans often change': Outback Mike's response

Outback Mike has since taken to his social media accounts to respond to the news.

"Ghost camping is a national problem and it’s good QPWS has not only recognised it but is trying to fix it (other states are still ignoring it). I’m sure there will be benefits from this system in areas where amending and cancelling bookings is possible," he said in a clip on Tuesday.

However, he notes that the fines could disadvantage people like him, who often go on two-three week-long camping trips, and don't know where they're going to stay the following night/s.

"For those on extended trips without internet access though (all of Cape York for example), even the most ardent goody-two-shoes will struggle to comply," he notes.

"It will increase stress, reduce flexibility and lead to people not booking because plans often change on extended remote area trips. If they book in advance and miss their planned campsites they could return to phone range weeks later to find thousands of dollars in fines waiting for them."

Originally published as Aussies to cop $322 fine for 'entitled' camping trend