A LOCAL park frequented by families with young children could become swamped with tents after a 12-month free camping trial began on Saturday.
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The City of Ballarat’s “freedom camping” trial involves allowing large recreational vehicles to stay for two nights at Pioneer Park, Wendouree. However, Grant Tillett from the Campervan and Motorhome Club Australia (CMCA) said the club wouldn’t oppose people pitching tents if campers contained their waste.
“If someone doesn’t leave a mess it would be churlish of us to turn them away,” he said.
The park has no toilet facilities, but Mr Tillett said miniature Portaloos, which could be brought to the park by campers, were just as efficient.
A local, who did not wish to be named, said she had no problem with RVs, but the idea of people pitching tents at a park where families frequented was “ridiculous”.
Some of CMCA’s local members will volunteer to police the site on an ad hoc basis, and Mr Tillett said he had no concerns free camping would attract less-desirable types to the park.
The contentious trial caused ructions in the City of Ballarat council chambers, with most councillors voting to defer a decision on the proposed trial in July.
Local caravan park owners previously voiced serious concerns about the impact of the proposal, including the build-up of litter and waste on the site, an influx of homeless and needy people using the site, and visitors residing illegally.
They were also concerned people would still use the site despite not having self-contained vehicles, and there would be a lack of staff to monitor or manage the site.
However, Mr Tillett said the caravan park proprietors were effectively “blackmailing” campers.
“There’s a protectionist approach because of the attitudes of the caravan park owners who mistakenly think that people who go to free camps would have stopped with them,” he said.
“They’re effectively saying,
‘Either stop with us or don’t stop’. And people don’t stop, they keep driving.”
According to a City of Ballarat report on the trial, council officers can also shut down the site at any time during the 12 months if it is damaging the viability of existing caravan parks.
william.vallely@fairfaxmedia.com.au
