Tasmania's Central Coast Council will ask campers to fork out a $15 nightly fee from the end of February, while NSW is contemplating higher fees too.
The amount of free campsites around Australia is shrinking after a local council introduced new fees at a range of popular spots.
Tasmania's Central Coast Council will ask campers to fork out a $15 nightly fee from the end of February 2026 at several council-managed freedom camping sites.
The impacted sites are Forth Recreation Ground, Midway Point in Sulphur Creek and Bannons Park in Gunns Plains in the state's north-west.
READ MORE: Bobbi is pleading with Australia Post for help after $4000 loss
READ MORE: Emergency warnings in parts of Victoria as fires rage amid record heat
A new permit system will also be enforced, including a maximum stay of three nights per site for self-contained vehicles such as campervans or RVs and a ban on fires and tents.
"The permit system is being introduced to help council better manage camping and RV visitation across the Central Coast," the council's Director of Corporate Services Samantha Searle told nine.com.au.
"The modest fee will be reinvested directly into maintaining and improving facilities, protecting the natural environment, and ensuring fair and equitable access to camping areas.
"It also aligns with council's adopted RV and Camping Strategy and broader planning to enhance visitor experience, support tourism growth and deliver future infrastructure upgrades that will benefit both visitors and the local community."
LIVE UPDATES: Extreme weather grips Australia
It follows a proposal by the NSW national parks service to standardise camping fees across the board following a rise in "ghost camping".
A consultation paper released last year, of which the submissions are yet to be released, outlined a "significant" change to the NSW Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the first since 2017.
The tiered system would see fees increased, particularly during the busy season.
For most campers, fees would increase in high season and be cheaper in low season, the NPWS said.
"For example, a family of four currently pays $68/night in a beachfront campground (tier 6), but with the proposed tiered system they would pay $89/night in high season or $54/night in low season," the consultation paper stated.
The fees would be introduced to encourage cancellations and discourage ghost camping or no-shows, where travellers book but don't ever arrive to claim their spot.
The NPWS said it had considered alternative approaches, including a "first-come, first-served" model, 100 per cent refunds for cancellations or fines for no-shows, but found it "difficult" to enforce.
READ MORE: Two charged, two more wanted after 'bonnet up' scam targeting elderly women
Around 23,000 people responded to the submission.
The NPWS is now in the process of reviewing the feedback.
Ghost camping is a nationwide issue that has prompted government responses in multiple states.
The practice surged after Victoria introduced free camping in every state forest and national park across the state in December 1, 2024.
The move wiped out $7.3 million in annual booking fees for campers but it's come at another high cost – campsites sitting empty.
DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
Water in bushfire-ravaged town 'not safe to drink', authorities warn
'It was too late': Brigade commander loses home while defending neighbouring properties
Manhunt underway after 44-year-old shot dead at Western Sydney home
Hundreds of firefighters on standby as Sydney tops 40 degrees
Medical student, 21, dies a month after Sydney police pursuit crash
'Whether they like it or not': Donald Trump's threat to Greenland
Shark kills American woman in the US Virgin Islands
Residents 'shattered' after losing family relics in bushfire
'High' chance of cyclone as rain sweeps Queensland coast
ICE agent's phone captures fatal confrontation in Minneapolis
'Like an atomic bomb': Small town unrecognisable as fire destroys homes
'Nobody shied away': Bystanders jumped in to help family trapped in major crash
Bondi hero Ahmed al-Ahmed meets former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on US trip
