Landowners reminded to check requirements before hosting campers

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. Council said with the growing popularity of online camping platforms such as Hipcamp, any landowners considering offering campsites must check their regulatory obligations before commencing operations and accepting bookings. Alpine Shire chief executive officer, Will Jeremy, said 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," he said. "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: bushfires, flooding, wastewater and sanitation, traffic and access, noise and amenity, environmental impacts, and public health and safety. Mr Jeremy said while council recognises tourism and outdoor recreation are important to Alpine Shire, and there is strong community interest in enjoying our natural environment, camping businesses "need to operate in locations and in ways that are safe, appropriate, and compliant with the law". “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,” he said. Mr Jeremy said landowners should not assume 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. He said planning approval may not be the only approval required. "Depending on the circumstances, other requirements relating to public health, accommodation, wastewater, building, fire safety, roads, or other matters may apply," he said. "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. “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. Council caution follows petition Council's caution to landowners comes more than a month after after council received a petition from Myrtleford residents raising questions and concerns about the operation of a camping facility in Whalleys Lane. The petition, signed by 14 residents, called on council to investigate a range of issues relating to the campground, which operates under the name Myrtle Beach Retreat on the banks of the Ovens River. Petitioners raised concerns about the scale of the operation, potential environmental impacts, public safety, wastewater management, biosecurity risks, flood and bushfire preparedness and the effect of off-lead dogs on neighbouring properties and wildlife. The petition aimed to seek clarification about planning permits, approvals and authorisations which apply to the facility, as well as whether the operation complies with planning, environmental, health and fire safety requirements. Council ultimately voted unanimously to receive and note the petition and referred the matter to the CEO for investigation through council’s operational compliance processes, rather than request a follow-up report at a future council meeting.

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