End of Free Camping?

[farcanal]

I heard some disturbing news today, hope it's not right.
My mate's girlfriend is 2IC in a regional WA shire council.
She's been given the task of rejuvenating the local caravan park, and told my mate that rangers will be cracking down on anyone caught "free" camping without a chemical toilet and grey water catchment tank.
We've traveled extensively across Australia with our camper/trailer using mainly free sites in the bush.
We use a bowl for a quick "tub wash" and I use a folding toilet seat for the other stuff. I ALWAYS dig a hole first and my stuff is buried.
This is a concern for me and I know there's hundreds out there just like us.
Please someone , tell me this is not true.

[Bird]

Is this currently a rule? Will there be some form of notification to the world that rules are changing or are there any 'rules' listed anywhere that people can read upon, that they will be breaking?
If not, can't see it getting much traction.
Will be hard to manage though... few sq klms that are remote in WA.


Rejuvenating the local caravan park Its only a matter of time I believe for many places.. I know Tassie is pissed with it and has been in the past. Few threads on it in recent times.

[farcanal]

Is this currently a rule? Will there be some form of notification to the world that rules are changing or are there any 'rules' listed anywhere that people can read upon, that they will be breaking?
If not, can't see it getting much traction.
Will be hard to manage though... few sq klms that are remote in WA.


Rejuvenating the local caravan park Its only a matter of time I believe for many places.. I know Tassie is pissed with it and has been in the past. Few threads on it in recent times.

Not sure if it's currently a rule Bird.
I haven't actually spoken to the lady in question, just my mate who was speaking to her yesterday.
As you have said, almost impossible to police, I've been in some nice remote spots where I doubt a Ranger would even find me.
I'm just thinking about the Camps Australia book, I've used them extensively for over 10 years , and if they change the rules this book will be useless for anyone who hasn't got a van with shower/toilet.

[austastar]

Hi,
   When we were in W.A. (2004) the Kalbarri shire had "No Camping" signs every where. Caravan/Camping parks only.
But we were 'legally parked' for the night, so it didn't really affect us.
Cheers

Sent from my SM-T380 using Tapatalk

[Rumpig]

Hopefully not the end of free camping, but if cleans up the places currently littered with turds and dunny paper from some of the grubs out there that aren't doing the right thing,  won't totally be a bad thing IMO.

[WilSurf]

When we left our camp at Wellington Dam in January, a ranger came to see for fire dangers (as we had reported a fire a few days earlier on the other side of where we were) and the only thing he asked us how we got in.
He was surprised when I answered: just followed the track behind us down.
Nothing about illegal camping.

[Pottsy]

Hopefully not the end of free camping, but if cleans up the places currently littered with turds and dunny paper from some of the grubs out there that aren't doing the right thing,  won't totally be a bad thing IMO.

X2

[nab]

Might have to add a portable toilet to your gear. Keeping doing as you are though, I don’t think the ranger will open the toilet to see if you’re using it or not haha!!!!

[tryagain]

I think it all depends a bit on where you are, I am all for the chemical toilet requirement is semi popular places, Teewah beach for example can turn into a cess pit behind the camping area at busy times due to the amount of people there, where as if you are remote and off the beaten track then digging a hole isn't an issue. Anywhere that's busy enough to have a ranger patrol is probably busy enough for people to need a chemical toilet. The grey water tank I think is less of an issue, especially when half the grey nomads just head off in the morning with the tank emptying on the road as they drive.

[fc_holden]

Ronny Dahl has been advising on his YouTube vids for most of this year re the requirements to carry a chemical toilet in WA and how it is being cracked done on by the authorities, don’t know re the grey water tank but we carry a portable one when camping or using the camper

[sharkcaver]

I cant speak for the shire you speak of, but a requirement for a chemi toilet is becoming like the climate change debate. Do-gooders advocating thus for the sake of the environment. Also like the AGW issue, they are only selectively looking at all the issues, those toilet chemicals are nasty stuff for the environment - admittedly, there are alternatives to the nasty stuff.

Be warned, it is coming. Slowly but surely. And that's going to create some havoc for me.

Like rumpig says, it it stops the poo tickets obliterating the landscape, then it could be a good thing. Problem is, the tards that leave poo tickets everywhere wont carry a portable, so it wont solve a thing.

Political correctness now making its way to the throne 

[krisandkev]

I cant speak for the shire you speak of, but a requirement for a chemi toilet is becoming like the climate change debate. Do-gooders advocating thus for the sake of the environment. Also like the AGW issue, they are only selectively looking at all the issues, those toilet chemicals are nasty stuff for the environment - admittedly, there are alternatives to the nasty stuff.

Be warned, it is coming. Slowly but surely. And that's going to create some havoc for me.

Like rumpig says, it it stops the poo tickets obliterating the landscape, then it could be a good thing. Problem is, the tards that leave poo tickets everywhere wont carry a portable, so it wont solve a thing.

Political correctness now making its way to the throne 

Absolutly spot on. It will and does effect the ones doing the right thing. I have seen so many self contained vans spilling their load as they drive along. So many do not find a dump point and empty the stuff there. Just another greeny type agender. And I have seen a lot of locals trashing free camping areas. Not to mention young overseas campers. Kevin

[D4D]

Free camping in Australia is akin to 'The right to bear arms' in the US, it is not going away despite government and commercial pressure.

[Craig Tomkinson]

When we travelled the Gibb river road up to Kalumburu in 1988 we stayed at home Valley St and its owner said it was illegal to free camp on the side of the road in WA back then, We did it anyway, Craig 

[jclures]

After travelling quite a bit of Australia, and seeing some the pigs that think it is OK to think the bush is better with Shit and Shit paper behind every rock and tree on there travels it is not surprising this is happening.
I listened to a local fellow on the radio while we were up in the north of WA and his comment was about tourists leaving their brown and white butterflies behind to fly around in the bush.

[doc evil]

Not a recent thing, especially in WA.........in a former life, I was vice chair of the 4WD association in WA. 10 years ago they shires and councils were trying to put a brake on free camping. Not so much north and east of Perth but definitely the south west. By the sound of it, they are still trying.........

Gig Gin shire and another, have set up "free" camps on Indian ocean drive. That was a few years ago. Don't know how that has fared??

[Bird]

Anywhere that's busy enough to have a ranger patrol is probably busy enough for people to need a chemical toilet

Very true.

[corndog]

I once tried a camp along a Murray River. Not my usual camping place as I prefer smaller, cleaner rivers. Got there late to find the place packed. Found a spot and set up. Got up in the morning to find more toilet tents than caravans/campers. Some had a chemical toilet for no1 and a pit toilet for no2. I wondered  why if you would s**t in a pi you could p**s in a pit.. Some of these tents were as close to the waters edge by 15mtr horizontally.  They dug a hole maybe 250-300mm deep, placed a garbage  bin liner in the hole, and put the seat over the hole. When they left they take the seat, fold the plastic bag over the top and cover with dirt. Some might say what's  the problem. I walked back 35-40mtrs to dig a hole with a post hole digger. 1st hole hit plastic, 2nd hole hit plastic, 3rd hole plastic. On the 4th hole, dug it 800mm with no plastic. Did some test digging to see how much plastic  was there. More than not every hole I dug plastic came up. Plastic as low as 75mm under the ground and as close to the water as 10mtrs. The whole area must have a layer of s**t bags under the surface. So have a think next time when your camped on a nice clean campsite. Is it really . And this was only 1 campsite along that river.

[Craig Tomkinson]

Mean while on the side of the roads theres thousands of roos , and cattle craping everywhere, Yes there are some grubs out there that do not bury what they leave behind deep enough or at all, 

[alnjan]

just don't do it into a plastic bag.   Do it into the hole so it can break down without leaving plastic everywhere, or if you must drop a match into the hole before you bury it. 

[Bird]

Is it really

if someone Shits and its underground and out of site, I dont care

[tryagain]

Mean while on the side of the roads theres thousands of roos , and cattle craping everywhere, Yes there are some grubs out there that do not bury what they leave behind deep enough or at all,

What's a cow stocking rate though, a lot less poo/m than a busy campsite I would think. I don't think it's an issue remote camping, I think it can be an issue in busyish campsites though.

[Pete79]

Plastic as low as 75mm under the ground and as close to the water as 10mtrs. The whole area must have a layer of s**t bags under the surface. So have a think next time when your camped on a nice clean campsite. Is it really . And this was only 1 campsite along that river.

It would be scary to see a cross section view of ground at Double Island Point...
50mm of sand over 1m of turds....

[MDS69]

Mean while on the side of the roads theres thousands of roos , and cattle craping everywhere, Yes there are some grubs out there that do not bury what they leave behind deep enough or at all,

Yes but Roos and cows diet is grass and plants basically. Humans eat meat, pasta, rice and other processed crap hence why it is so disgusting. Same as dog poo. They eat a processed diet usually meat.

[MDS69]

I remember 2014 stopping at Algebuckina Bridge on the Oodnadatta Track for a lunch break and with a view to set up camp. The amount of human waste, toilet paper and the odd disposable nappy in the bushes had to be seen to be believed