Announcing the guidelines at Torquay today, Environment and Climate Change Minister Gavin Jennings said the changes will provide a fairer go to all people wanting to visit our popular caravan and camping sites.

“Victoria’s Crown land caravan parks are extremely popular holiday destinations which is why the Brumby Labor Government is taking action to ensure everyone gets a fairer go and has access to the best sites,” Mr Jennings said.

“For decades, the regulations governing Crown land caravan parks have allowed people who have been granted a 12-month site lease to simply roll over the lease each year without it being offered to anyone else.

“This has meant that some people have had exclusive access to the same site for many years, freezing out others who are equally entitled to use that public site.

“As a result, these people have effectively had a never-ending lease on the public land site when the regulations were designed to allow for one year access.

“The new guidelines provide welcome equity and access to the best holiday sites for all Victorians.”

Mr Jennings said the new guidelines place a cap on the number of years a caravan site can be rented by one person.

The new policy guidelines mean:

• New and existing campers will have equal and fair opportunity to access sites;

• A minimum of 10 per cent of all types of permits within a caravan park must be made available to new site holders;

• At busy parks caps will be placed on the number of years a permit can be re-issued to the same party;

• Permit renewal length will be linked to the size of the waiting list to ensure prospective permit holders do not wait too long;

• Long-term permit sites will be required to have a balanced mix of accommodation types, such as cabins, caravans and campsites; and

• Existing policies prohibiting the sale of caravans on sites within Crown land caravan and camping parks are strengthened.

“The new guidelines will also prevent the sale of caravans on-site at parks because it has the potential of giving buyers the impression the camping space is part of the purchase,” Mr Jennings said.

Member for South Barwon Michael Crutchfield MP said the new guidelines would mean popular local holiday destinations such as Torquay would benefit from new faces who were able to access the public caravan park.

“Long-term users of caravan park sites have often played an important role in the communities they holiday in but I am confident new holiday makers who benefit from these fairer guidelines will bring a vibrancy and energy of their own,” Mr Crutchfield said.

“Australians believe in a fair go for all and these new guidelines provide the opportunity for all Victorians to access the best sites at our local parks and enjoy caravanning in a new location.”

Mr Jennings said there was significant demand from people wanting to use sites at the 175 caravan parks on public land across Victoria.

“Research by DSE on use of public caravan and camping parks found that 77 per cent of all parks are completely booked out at some point each year. For most parks this is during the Christmas to New Year, and Easter periods,” he said.

“Of the 28 coastal parks offering 12-month permits, more than half turn away an average of 32 people every year because there are no available spaces. At about eight coastal parks there is a waiting list for a 12-month permit, with dozens of people waiting at least two-and-a-half years at those parks for that type of permit.”

The new guidelines require 10 per cent of casual sites be available to new permit holders during each peak season; 10 per cent of seasonal permits be available to new permit holders during each defined season; 10 per cent of 12-month permits be available to new permit holders each year; and 10 per cent of cabins be available to new permit holders during each peak season.