Officials scrap free camping program amid unforeseen issues: 'Systematically flawed'

A free government-run camping program in Victoria, Australia, is being scrapped.

Kickstarted in October 2024 to improve camping access for families, the initiative has been criticized as not working for prospective campers, local economies, or parks. It is now set to end on July 1, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, with staggered half-price campsite bookings becoming the new standard for now.

One key reason the program fell short seems to have been that campsites would frequently appear fully booked online yet be half-full in reality. These "ghost bookings" — ostensibly reserved by those who understandably felt less committed to keep their plans due to the free cost — disadvantaged campers who wanted to make the trip and area businesses that stood to benefit from increased tourism.

Victorian politician Melina Bath told the ABC that the free camping program was "systematically flawed." With whole sites appearing to be booked while hopeful visitors clamored for spots, tourism seemed to decrease in some cases.

"You've got local towns who've had a drop in patronage, a drop in sales," Bath said. "That does not support local business in our towns, or even the facilities."

On the other hand, some sites reported a higher number of visitors at certain times. With that — and with purported budget cuts, labor concerns, and administrative changes that advocates say contributed to the parks' maintenance struggles — improper disposal of trash had sometimes been noted, according to earlier reporting from the ABC.

Watch now: Giant snails invading New York City?

While these issues seem to indicate the need for modifications to the initiative, one might wonder if further attempts to tinker with the booking system and address the trash challenges might have saved another version of the program in Victoria while protecting economies and the environment.

Even the new half-price bookings may be prohibitively expensive for some low-income families. And opportunities to connect with nature can support general health and well-being in addition to an appreciation for the environment and, critically, its protection.

Around the world, some places do make no- and low-cost nature visits possible. In the United Kingdom, a recent court decision moved to allow "wild camping" in certain privately-owned areas of Dartmoor as long as participants "follow a code of conduct," reported the BBC in late May. These visitors must "tread lightly and leave no trace" while landowners still retain some protections — similar arrangements are legal in nearby Scotland too.

As just one example of cultivating policies and practices that can enable care for nature and a connection to it, a lawyer involved in the Dartmoor case told the BBC, "This isn't a green light for damage, it's a reminder of the balance between access and stewardship."