Alpine Shire Council is reminding landowners that operating a camping business on private property requires appropriate approvals and compliance with relevant health, safety, and environmental requirements.
With the growing popularity of online camping platforms such as Hipcamp, landowners that are considering offering campsites must check their regulatory obligations before commencing operations and accepting bookings.
Council’s planning scheme regulates how land can be used and developed, with requirements varying according to the zoning, overlays, and characteristics of each property. In most circumstances, a planning permit is required to operate a camping ground.
Unregulated or inappropriately located camping can create significant economic risks for landowners, particularly in cases of injury or damage, as well as additional risks for visitors, neighbouring properties, and the environment.
These other risks can include:
- Bushfire: Camping areas may be located in areas exposed to significant bushfire risk, requiring appropriate consideration of access, evacuation, site layout, and bushfire protection measures. A majority of Alpine Shire is subject to Bushfire Management Overlays, which require bushfire risk to be considered as part of the planning process.
- Flooding: Camping in low-lying or flood-prone areas can expose visitors to rapidly changing conditions and create difficulties for emergency access and evacuation.
- Wastewater and sanitation: Toilets, showers, and other facilities need to be appropriately designed and managed so that wastewater, sewage, and other waste do not pollute waterways, land, or neighbouring properties.
- Traffic and access: Increased vehicle movements can create safety, parking, road-access, and emergency access issues, particularly on rural roads and properties without infrastructure designed for increased visitor numbers.
- Noise and amenity: Regular commercial camping can affect neighbouring properties through vehicle movements, generators, music, gatherings, lighting, and other activities.
- Environmental impacts: Poorly managed camping can result in vegetation damage, erosion, litter, waste, and impacts on waterways, habitat, and surrounding agricultural land.
- Public health and safety: Depending on the nature of the operation, additional requirements may apply to accommodation, sanitary facilities, and other aspects of operating a commercial camping business.
Alpine Shire Chief Executive Officer, Will Jeremy, said Council recognises that tourism and outdoor recreation are important to Alpine Shire, and there is strong community interest in enjoying our natural environment.
“Camping businesses, however, need to operate in locations and in ways that are safe, appropriate, and compliant with the law," he said.
“Planning approvals are not simply a bureaucratic requirement - they provide a process for assessing issues such as bushfire and flood risk, environmental impacts, traffic, amenity, infrastructure, and the suitability of a site for its proposed use.”
Landowners should not assume that an activity is exempt from planning requirements simply because it is small-scale, operates on private land, or is advertised through an online booking platform.
Council also reminds operators that planning approval may not be the only approval required.
Mr Jeremy said depending on the circumstances, other requirements relating to public health, accommodation, wastewater, building, fire safety, roads, or other matters may apply.
"These requirements provide important protections for landowners, helping to ensure risks and responsibilities are appropriately managed should an emergency or other incident occur on the property," he said.
“Anyone thinking about offering camping on their property should talk to Council before they start taking bookings.
“It is much easier to identify and address potential issues at the planning stage than after an operation has commenced."
Landowners can contact Council by emailing info@alpineshire.vic.gov.au or calling (03) 5755 0555.