THE Victorian Opposition has vowed to modify controversial laws on riverfront camping on Crown Land if elected into government later this year.

A statement was released yesterday referring to the laws passed in September last year, and claimed it would also address “the many failures of the existing Land Act 1958”.

The statement said the Opposition’s plans were “more balanced” and will give power back to landholders to decide who can camp on their river frontages, while beefing up penalties.

“It will address concerns of landholders and farmers who lease frontages on the more than 17,000 kilometres of river frontage across the state that range from biosecurity on farms to personal safety and the potential threat of litigation,” the statement said.

Crown water frontage is usually a strip of Crown Land that runs alongside a waterway and is typically located between the waterway and a private land boundary; frontages can vary in width from 20-100 metres or more.

Since the end of March, the State Government has progressively introduced dozens of new riverside camping spots online, which have included sites in Dunkeld, Casterton and Dartmoor.

“We promised to give Victorians and visitors to our state the opportunity to camp at some of Victoria’s most picturesque spots – and that’s exactly what we’ve done,” Fishing and Boating minister, Melissa Horne said at the time.

The Opposition have said the new rules are a “free-for-all” and the biosecurity threat for working farms is “not acceptable”.

They have proposed to make “landholder permission a pre-requisite to camping, (with) licensees authorised to remove consent upon a reasonable belief there has been a breach of determinations, while penalties applied to those who breach the rules could include increased penalties and the potential for seizure of fishing and camping equipment, vehicles and vessels”.

Fishing and Boating shadow minister, Bill Tilley, said the new measures would ensure there is no grey area, and put certainty back into the hands of landholders.

 “Landholders are understandably worried, and despite repeated requests, they remain uneasy about the threat of being sued,” he said.

“For decades, an informal system has operated with farmers allowing campers when asked – they don’t have a problem with that.”

The Opposition said the suitability of sites that have already been identified would also be re-assessed and they will review and re-assess the existing lease.

“Bill and I have met with farmers and it’s clear that we need to strike a balance between access to public space and the potential threat to our livestock industry,” Opposition leader, Matthew Guy said.

 “This policy provides better protection of waterways and land as well as protections for licence holders, their stock and property.”