The Victorian Government is encouraging farmers, fishers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts to have their say on proposed regulations to govern recreational activity on Crown Land with river frontage and grazing licences.
In 2018, the Government committed to guarantee access to fishing and camping on Crown Land that has grazing licences and water frontage to help friends and families spend more time together outdoors.
To enable the implementation of this commitment, Parliament recently passed amendments to the Land Act 1958 to remove the prohibition of camping on licensed river frontages.
To support the changes, the Victorian Government will create consistent regulations for these licensed areas.
The public is already able to already able to lawfully access licensed river frontages for recreation such as fishing, hiking and picnicking. The consistency will help allow recreational users better understand what can and cannot occur when accessing these areas.
The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning have drafted proposed regulations to govern the recreational use of Crown Land that has grazing licences and water frontage.
These changes will allow for camping in appropriate areas from 1 September 2021, allowing time for extensive consultation with stakeholders, including an online public consultation period opening today for six weeks.
These regulations governing the use of the land for camping will be enforced to ensure the best interests of licensees, livestock, the environment, and recreational users.
The Government is asking people to provide their feedback on the proposed regulations online at www.engage.vic.gov.au/regulated-watercourse-land-regulations
