The Victorian Opposition says if it wins the November election it will give “power back to landholders to decide who can camp on their river frontages” and beef up penalties to those who “flout the rules”.
The Coalition is proposing changes after the Victorian Government opened up more river frontages for public camping earlier this year.
The changes were welcomed by recreational groups, particularly fishers, but some landholders and farmers who lease frontages expressed concerns about biosecurity, environmental damage and animal and human safety.
The public can already lawfully access licensed river frontages for fishing, hiking and picnicking.
The opposition said under its watch, the Act and its associated regulations would see landholder permission as a pre-requisite to camping; licensees would be authorised to remove consent upon a reasonable belief there had been a breach of determinations; and those who breached the rules could face increased penalties and have fishing and camping equipment, vehicles and vessels seized.
Seymour Fishing Club member Nick Ridd said he understood the complexity policy makers faced when trying to strike a balance between environmental protection and access for recreation.
He has seen the litter at the Crown land camping site off Grenslopes Rd just outside Seymour.
“It’s getting harder and harder to find good camping spots,” he said.
“Unfortunately, there is a few who ruin it for everybody,
“I understand it costs money to clean and all of that.”
Victorian Liberal leader Matthew Guy said the existing regulations were not acceptable.
“(We) have met with farmers and it’s clear that we need to strike a balance between access to public space and the potential threat to our livestock industry,” Mr Guy said.
“This policy provides better protection of waterways and land, as well as protections for licence holders, their stock and property.”
Shadow Fishing and Boating Minister Bill Tilley said the new measures would ensure there was no grey area and put certainty back into the hands of landholders.
“Landholders are understandably worried and, despite repeated requests, they remain uneasy about the threat of being sued,” Mr Tilley said.
“For decades an informal system has operated, with farmers allowing campers when asked. They don’t have a problem with that, but the current rules are a free-for-all.
“The failings of the current laws are real and need to be fixed, and we will fix them.”
The Victorian Government said rigorous public land value assessments were conducted by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning to ensure the sites were safe, and were followed by Traditional Owner assessments of each site to ensure they were culturally appropriate for camping.
Sites are listed on the DELWP website once they are identified as suitable for camping. Many are walk-in-only sites.
The regulations governing camping on Crown land sites are enforced by DELWP, the Victorian Fisheries Authority and Parks Victoria.
A 24-hour hotline (13FISH, 133 474) is available for the public to report any illegal or antisocial behaviour.