Riverside camping split opens up as Victorian ministers flag risks

Allowing camping on river frontages presents serious environmental and cultural risks, dissenting government ministers say — and they’re making that known.

Thousands of campers will spill on to Victoria’s river banks from September, collecting timber and lighting fires.

Cracks are appearing in the Andrews Government’s resolve to open up 17,000km of crown land water frontages to free public camping in September, following a wave of criticism from farmers, environment groups and even its own ministers.

The Weekly Times understands two weeks ago Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, Agriculture Minister Mary-Anne Thomas and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Gabrielle Williams joined forces to confront Fishing Minister Melissa Horne over concerns with the draft camping regulations, allowing the public to camp for up to 28 nights within 20 metres of waterways, defecate within 50 metres and collect up to half a cubic metre of fallen timber per person each day.

Ms Horne refused to answer questions on the meeting and the issues raised, simply stating “we understand there is significant interest in the proposed changes”.

Farmers and environment groups have already expressed fears the Government would be unable to police thousands of campers spilling onto the banks of the state’s river and creeks during summer and the school holidays, risking outbreaks of fire, damage to remnant native vegetation, wildlife and conflicts with landholders and livestock.

Minister D’Ambrosio is under pressure from environmental groups, who have warned opening up vast stretches of the state’s waterways to camping threatens some of the last remnant vegetation of its type in Victoria.

“While riparian zones may only represent a small proportion of the landscape, they often have disproportionately high biodiversity values and support distinct ecological communities,” the Victorian National Parks Association 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.”

Much of the 17,000km of river and creek banks the Government plans to open up to free camping from September is managed by adjoining landholders, under 8287 crown land grazing licences.

While some farmers have fenced off and revegetated water frontages, under riparian management licences, most remain unfenced, putting campers at risk from roaming livestock.

“We don’t see the attraction of ‘camping with cows’, which is essentially what the regulations propose, especially where it could lead to conflict with adjoining landholders, impact on sensitive ecological areas or simply be unsafe,” the VNPA stated.

Even bureaucrats within the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning have raised concerns with lobby groups, given the lack of resources they have to police the regulations and the risk to native vegetation and the culturally significant sites of traditional owners.

Victorian Government mapping systems show all land within 200 metres of waterways is culturally sensitive under the Cultural Heritage Management Act, which is designed to protect Aboriginal burial and other sacred sites, such as middens, birthing and scar trees.

Yet the regulations drafted by Minister Horne allow campers to collect harvest dead timber, dig holes and light fires, putting these sites at risk.

Meanwhile, farmers who hold grazing licences over the same water frontages are prohibited from lighting fires or collecting fallen timber.

Victorian Farmers Federation Livestock Council vice president Scott Young said the camping strategy was disorganised, with inaccurate mapping systems that were out of date due to changes in watercourses and little detail on how the public would gain access.

“It just can’t be thrown together,” Mr Young said. “We need to know the boundaries and there’s no physical fence, then how do we know if someone is defecating in our paddocks.”

While the bid to open up waterways to camping was an Andrews Government 2018 election promise, the drafting of the regulations has been driven by the Victorian Fisheries Authority and former Fishing Minister Jaala Pulford.

Yet Victoria’s recreational fishers peak body VRFish has not lodged a submission to government on the draft regulations.

“We’ve always made our position clear, that we support public access to public land, including camping,” VRFish acting executive officer Ben Scullin said.

Meanwhile the government is undertaking a review of the very legislation - the Land Act 1958 - it amended last November to allow camping on water frontages.

Earlier this month DELWP launched public consultation on combining the Land Act, Crown Land (Reserves) Act 1978 and Forests Act 1958 and replacing them with a new Public Land Act.

A directions paper outlining the goals of the new Public Land Act states it will “streamline, simplify, and consolidate the current tenures (including licences and leases) and other authorisation powers currently found in the (three current) crown land acts”, including a “public interest test”.