A campaign led by outdoor influencer Michael Atkinson, known online as Outback Mike, has generated more than 23,000 submissions opposing proposed increases in camping fees across New South Wales national parks.
According to an article by The Sydney Morning Herald, the groundswell of opposition was so strong that NSW Environment Minister Penny Sharpe publicly acknowledged it in parliament. “I want particularly to give a shout-out to Outback Mike, who has helped generate over 23,000 submissions about this,” Sharpe said in question time late last month.
Atkinson, a former airforce pilot and avid camper, took aim at a NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) proposal to introduce a six-tier pricing system.
The proposed changes were intended to address the issue of “ghost bookings,” where campers reserve a site but fail to show up.
This problem has plagued Victoria, where the government’s attempt at free camping backfired, leaving prime campsites empty during peak holidays due to speculative bookings. The Victorian government has since scrapped its free camping policy and reinstated half-price fees.
Jordan Crook of the Victorian National Parks Association noted that although the free booking system covered only 110 out of 1000 campsites, it placed undue stress on rangers and caused conflicts among campers.
“They’d have to monitor the campsites more than they were, and then sometimes it was turning into fisticuffs, when people didn’t turn up, but people still camped in their spots,” Crook said.
He added that budget cuts, including a $95 million reduction last year, had severely weakened the capacity of Parks Victoria to manage the system effectively.
NSW currently manages 360 campsites in national parks and allows free camping in state forests.
Under the new pricing plan, the most basic campsites would remain free, but even modest facilities like pit toilets could cost $22 per night in peak season.
Premium campsites with hot showers could reach $89 per night. Atkinson has been vocal in opposing the steep increases, pointing out in a video that the cost of pitching a tent at Woody Head campground exceeded the rental price of a three-bedroom house in a nearby town.
He acknowledged that ghost bookings are a concern, sharing footage from Kosciuszko National Park where four out of five sites sat empty despite being fully booked.
However, he argued that pricing people out of camping is not the solution. “The only way to make a booking system work is to make it expensive – but, if you do that, you block out anyone below middle income, and young people are just going to be completely discouraged, so that is a very poor solution,” he said.
Atkinson advocated for keeping basic campsites free and eliminating bookings for them altogether, while NPWS argued this would lead to campers physically claiming sites early with erected tents.
Atkinson countered that practical barriers already limit this behavior and suggested that expanding campsite capacity would better meet rising demand.
Louisa Andersen, a former NPWS ranger now based in Western Australia, also criticized the proposed fees. “
How are people meant to care about the environment and parks and natural places if they can’t afford to experience it?” she said.
“Rangers don’t get discounts either … and I just can’t wrap my head around or justify paying that much,” she adde.
Other submissions offered alternative solutions. Sergey Kolotsey from Baulkham Hills proposed a refundable deposit system requiring campers to check in via QR code.
The NSW National Parks Association called for simplification of the fee structure and said NSW’s approach is unnecessarily complex and uncompetitive compared to Queensland and South Australia.
“By contrast this NSW proposal is overly complex … all while charging considerably more than nearby caravan parks,” their submission stated.
Minister Sharpe confirmed that the consultation was ongoing. “This is about having a genuine conversation on how to fix persistent issues,” she told the publication. “No decisions had been made.”
This controversy carries significant implications for the campground industry. If high fees drive campers away from public sites, many may turn to private campgrounds and RV parks, increasing demand on those operators.
On the other hand, equitable and affordable pricing models could help public and private campgrounds coexist sustainably while preserving access to nature for all income levels.