By Tanya Steele
As warmer weather draws people into parks and forests for the spring camping season Conservation Regulator and Parks Victoria are asking campers to follow public land rules for the good of all.
Authorised officers from both agencies patrolled over the long weekend targeting unsafe and unattended campfires, illegal off-road vehicle use, and littering.
Wayne Robins, acting chief conservation regulator said it’s critical for safety and for the environment that you always have eyes on your campfire.
“Drive only on open, formed roads, and take your rubbish home with you,” he said.
Over the 2022 extended Grand Final long weekend, more than 30 unattended or illegal campfires were detected, and authorised officers handed out nearly 30 fines to people caught committing campfire, vehicle, or other public land offences.
Chris Mercier, manager of enforcement operations, Parks Victoria said he hopes everyone enjoyed the long weekend around the campfire.
“Just remember to keep it safe by using designated campfire or barbecue bays in national and state parks, because fire safety is everyone’s responsibility,” he said.
Mr Mercier said that leaving campfires unattended is illegal and you need to be in attendance at a campfire at all times.
“One of our biggest problems with fire escapes is people leaving campfires unattended and then all of a sudden, a bit of a bit of wind comes up locally and it takes off into the forest – that’s a big problem for us,” he said.
“You have to be within at least 50 meters or line of sight – you have to be able to see the fire and there has to be an adult in charge of the fire,” he said.
Campfire etiquette also includes not throwing rubbish that won’t break down into the pits – there are many potentially devastating effects on the environment and the public’s personal safety if people don’t respect the rules.
“Glass particularly, doesn’t break down and that also ends up being a hazard for other people,” Mr Mercier said.
Campers also need to remember to adhere to total fire ban days as warm, dry weather brought by an El Nino weather pattern has increased bushfire risk this season.
Preparation is key and campers should prepare before lighting a campfire by learning how to build and maintain a safe campfire before leaving home, following campsite specific rules, checking weather conditions and fire danger ratings and having quick access to at least three buckets of water.
Mr Mercier said people coming out into the parks should respect other visitors and campers as well as being safe – being prepared for a lack of phone reception, checking whether you can bring pets or not and bringing enough water can be things to consider.
“People come to these places to get away from the city and they want to have a peaceful experience,” he said.
Off-road drivers and riders must have a valid licence and vehicle registration and stick to open, formed roads – many roads and tracks on public land are still seasonally closed to prevent damage during the wetter months and it is a serious offence to use them while closed.
Visitors should check for any road or track closures before they leave home: mapshare.vic.gov.au/mapsharevic/
Brushing up on camping and campfire skills is available through Parks Victoria’s step-by-step online guides and video series: parks.vic.gov.au/where-to-stay/camping-for-beginners
Anyone caught with an unsafe campfire, illegally driving off-road, or leaving rubbish behind can face fines ranging between $192 and $46,154.
The community can also help report any illegal behaviour on public land to 136 186.
Bushfires should be reported to 000.
“We want people to come out to enjoy these areas, bring the family and have a barbecue, just do it safely,” Mr Mercier said.
