Environmental, Aboriginal lobbies join farmers in riverside camping concern

Allowing camping on riversides isn’t just an issue for Victorian farmers — the environmental and Aboriginal lobbies aren’t happy either, writes Ed Gannon.

Farmers face seeing a sight such as this on their own farms, without notice, under new laws.

The controversial issue of allowing people to camp on river frontages managed by farmers looks like it is about to blow up in the Victorian Government’s face.

And its destruction is being helped along by some of the government’s own ministers who represent angry constituents and groups that are ganging up on the proposal.

As part of the 2018 election campaign, the Andrews Government promised to allow access to campers along 17,000km of river frontages that abut farmland. Much of that is managed by farmers under crown land grazing licences.

It was part of a move to win the fishing vote, who have always wanted access to more of the great trout-fishing rivers of North East Victoria, particularly the Goulburn River.

But it took until late last year for Fishing Minister Melissa Horne to announce the regulations - and it didn’t go down well.

Access to the rivers would allow campers to travel across farmland without notifying the farmers, they could stay for 28 days and they could collect up to half a cubic metre of fallen timber a person each day.

Farmers face the prospect of waking to find a family camping on the riverbank on their farm, with no clarity on what happens legally if a cow tramples a tent, or domestic dogs get tangled up with livestock.

And now the environment and Aboriginal lobbies have joined in. And they are not happy either.

The Victorian National Parks Association, in its submission on the draft camping regulations, stated: “Camping access should be the exception and not the norm, should be properly planned and only occur in areas which have had a proper boundary survey and assessment for ecological impact.”

Similarly, all land within 200 metres of Victorian waterways is designated culturally sensitive by the Victorian Government under the Cultural Heritage Management Act - the very areas where camping is proposed.

These areas are where you will find Aboriginal burial and other sacred sites.

There is also widespread concern over how the campers can be patrolled, with little resources available to keep an eye on campers in remote locations.

Farmers have proposed that if the camping is to go ahead, there needs to be a registration system so farmers can monitor who is coming and going.

All these factors led, a few weeks ago, to the agriculture, environment and Aboriginal affairs ministers approaching the fishing Minister to express their concerns with the new regulations.

It appears that while fishers may want to sit on a quiet river and bait their hook with a worm, the fishing minster has opened a can of worms that are proving useless at catching support.

• Ed Gannon is Editor of The Weekly Times