Operating a camping business on private property requires appropriate approvals and compliance with relevant health, safety, and environmental requirements.
Are you considering offering campsites on your property for a fee?
Before advertising your property or accepting bookings, it is important to understand the planning, health, safety, and environmental requirements that may apply.
In most circumstances, a planning permit is required to operate a camping ground.
Requirements vary from property to property depending on factors including its zoning, planning overlays, location, proposed number of campers, and the facilities being provided.
Why are these requirements important?
Planning and other regulatory requirements are not simply administrative processes. They help determine whether a property is suitable for the proposed use and whether risks can be appropriately managed.
They also provide important protections for landowners, helping to ensure risks and responsibilities are considered and appropriately managed should an emergency or other incident occur on the property.
For example, accommodating a large number of visitors on a property can have significant implications during a bushfire, flood, or other emergency, particularly where access and evacuation options are limited.
What needs to be considered?
Bushfire
Much of Alpine Shire is affected by bushfire risk. Where relevant, the planning process may consider matters such as:
- access and evacuation;
- the location and layout of camping areas;
- bushfire protection measures;
- emergency access; and
- the suitability of the site for accommodating visitors during periods of elevated fire risk.
Flooding
Low-lying or flood-prone areas may not be suitable for camping.
Flooding can create rapidly changing conditions and affect both visitor safety and the ability of emergency services to access or evacuate a property.
Toilets, wastewater, and sanitation
Providing camping accommodation can create additional wastewater and sanitation demands.
Toilets, showers, and other facilities must be appropriately designed and managed to minimise risks to public health and prevent sewage, wastewater, and other waste from affecting land, waterways, or neighbouring properties.
Traffic, parking and access
More campers can mean more vehicles entering and leaving your property. Consideration may need to be given to:
- safe property access;
- parking;
- increased vehicle movements;
- impacts on local and rural roads; and
- access for emergency vehicles.
Neighbours and amenity
Even relatively small camping operations can affect neighbouring properties. Potential impacts can include:
- additional traffic and vehicle movements;
- noise;
- generators;
- music and gatherings;
- lighting; and
- increased activity at different times of the day or night.
The environment
Camping needs to be appropriately located and managed to minimise environmental impacts. Issues can include:
- vegetation damage;
- erosion;
- litter and waste;
- impacts on waterways;
- impacts on habitat; and
- impacts on surrounding agricultural land.
Public health and safety
Depending on how your camping operation works and what facilities you provide, requirements relating to public health, accommodation, buildings, fire safety, wastewater, roads, and other matters may also apply.
A planning permit may not be the only approval you need.
Small-scale doesn't necessarily mean exempt
Landowners should not assume that camping is exempt from planning requirements because:
- only a small number of campsites are proposed;
- the camping is on private property;
- the property is rural;
- few facilities are being provided; and
- bookings are made through an online platform.
The requirements that apply will depend on the individual property and the proposed use.
Check before you take bookings
If you're thinking about offering paid camping on your property, contact us before you advertise or start accepting bookings.
Early advice can help identify what planning or other approvals are required and any potential issues that need to be addressed.
It is important to identify and manage these matters before an operation begins.
Talk to us
Our Planning Services team can help you understand:
- whether you need a planning permit;
- what planning controls apply to your property;
- what information may be required; and
- whether other Council or regulatory requirements may apply.