RESIDENTS of affluent inner-city Melbourne suburbs dominated bookings for sites during the State Government’s failed “free camping in national parks” policy, according to Eastern Victoria MP Melina Bath.
Data from Parks Victoria, she said, reveals residents of Brunswick and Northcote took most advantage of the offer of free sites, making a mockery of Labor’s claim the scheme would help struggling families book camping holidays.
“Brunswick was the No.1 suburb taking up the free camping offer. Occupational data reveals 73 percent of the inner-city suburb population is employed as professionals, managers or public servants,” said Ms Bath in a statement this week.
Shadow Minister for Public Land Management, Melina Bath said the trial created a ghost camping crisis, where people booked multiple sites to block out adjacent spaces and secure premium locations.
“This ghost camping fiasco left sites empty while struggling families missed out and small businesses in regional Victoria paid the price,” Ms Bath said.
“Labor’s free camping policy handed freebies to upper-middle income earners, who could easily afford the fees.”
Exposed as a costly failure and wasting $9 million of taxpayers’ money on a scheme that was doomed from the start, Ms Bath said the decision to raid the Treasurer’s Advance was indefensible.
“Treasurer’s Advances are for emergencies not for government headline grabs, this is a blatant misuse of public funds,” Ms Bath said
Ms Bath called out the inequity of the program and Labor’s financial recklessness.
“Among Victoria’s highest income earners, Brunswick residents snapped up free sites while families doing it tough, missed out,” Ms Bath said
“The state is drowning in debt paying $28 million a day in interest, yet Labor still finds ways to squander taxpayer dollars.
“The Allan Labor Government sold this policy to support Victorians in a cost-of-living crisis, yet it squandered $9 million and delivered nothing for those who needed help most.”
New camping dates open soon
In May this year, the State Government announced a return to half price camping at the state’s 131 bookable camping ground.
From July 1, 2025, the Victorian Government started paying $10.5 million to keep camping fees at half price at Parks Victoria campgrounds across the state for another two years.
Half-price camping was first introduced in 2019 as part of the $105.6 million Victoria's Great Outdoors initiative, which included funding to create or upgrade 62 new camping grounds in parks and state forests. An additional $1.7 million went towards camping ground maintenance, repairs and operating costs.
Since half-price camping was introduced, the government claims campers have saved more than $25 million in booking fees.
The following conditions will apply to half-price camping:
* A maximum of three campsites per campground can be booked per transaction (previously two)
* A cancellation and refunds policy, to encourage campers to cancel/modify their booking if plans change (see 'Can I change or cancel my booking' Parks Vic website)
The next camping and accommodation bookings will be released on December 1.
For stays up to August 31, 2026, bookings will open at 10am (AEDT) from Monday, December 1 and be staggered throughout the week depending on the location to manage high demand.
A Lobby (holding area) will open prior to 10am (AEDT):
* Monday, December 1: Tidal River campground at Wilsons Promontory National Park
* Tuesday, December 2: All roofed accommodation, including the Discovery Tents at Point Nepean National Park
* Wednesday, December 3: All other bookable sites across the state, including multi-day adventures.
