Riverside camping: Northern rivers to be opened up first

See the list of rivers the Victorian Government wants to first open to camping. Farmers fear the impact on crown land water frontages that many have held grazing licences over for decades.

Farmers fear opening up large tracts of Victoria’s 26,000km of waterways to camping puts their land at risk, from threats to livestock to fire.

THE Victorian Fisheries Authority is leading the charge in opening up crown land river frontages to camping from September, listing the Goulburn, Ovens, Campaspe, Mitta Mitta, Steavenson and Little Steavenson Rivers as priority waterways.

An email seen by The Weekly Times shows VFA fisheries reform manager Chris Padovani has told his colleagues the authority will prioritise camper and angler access to crown land along these northern rivers.

“I can advise that the VFA will be looking to improve angler/camper access to crown land river frontage that have grazing licences on them from 1 September,” Mr Padovani wrote.

“Our priority rivers to improve access via crown land, not via private property, are the Goulburn, Ovens, Campaspe, Mitta Mitta, Steavenson and Lt Steavenson Rivers.”

While the crown land and grazing licences are under the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning’s control, it appears Premier Daniel Andrews and his ministers have given VFA the lead on delivering on their 2018 election to guarantee campers’ access.

VFA director Travis Dowling, who is a former chief of staff to two previous Labor Government ministers, has been tasked with making the promise a reality.

But The Weekly Times understands there is some tension between the VFA, which wants to open up as much river frontage as possible to camping, with DELWP, whose public land managers are worried about the impacts and want it restricted.

Victorian Liberal Party deputy leader Cindy McLeish and member for Eildon said she had been contacted by hundreds of landholders concerned about the impacts of public camping on areas they held grazing licences over.

“People are absolutely concerned about how this will impact them, the risks to their biosecurity, (campers’) dogs attacking sheep, litter, rubbish, faeces, unattended campfires and their public liability,” Ms McLeish said.

The VFA has already told farmers who hold grazing licences over crown land water frontages that public consultation on the draft regulations will start on March 1, for six weeks.

The regulations will seek the publics’ feedback on the minimum distances that camping should be allowed from waterways, revegetation areas, residences, pumps or other sensitive sites, plus how to manage fires, litter, human waste, detergents and interaction with livestock.

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