The Ararat Rural Council has declared Greenhill Lake to be a free campsite yet campers are approached twice a day for a $5 donation; no receipt given.

http://council-services.ararat.vic.gov.au/news/view/news/229-green-hill-lake-media-information-sheet

The Greenhill Lake Development Board, a band of volunteers who mow the grounds - the sum total of what they do - ensure travellers are hit up morning and night for a $5 donation. No receipt is given as its not legal to collect camp fees.

Wearing fluro vests with signs announcing Greenhill Lake Development Board (the Deputy Mayor is the President of this volunteer Board) they approach each camper morning and night trying to elicit a $5 donation ostensibly for the upkeep of the place.

If you point out that the lake is a free camp as declared by the Council, you get the spiel about how their volunteer organization looks after the place and a donation would be appreciated.

If you refuse, you are made to feel unwelcome and asked how long you intend to stay! Tens of thousands of dollars lies in the volunteers account. So what activities are undertaken by the Board to warrant the claim to a $5 donation?

I understand the volunteers are forbidden by council to remove graffiti or clear overhead branches to ensure access to sites, etc. Their sole task consists of mowing the place and approaching all campers/caravanners for $5. The $5 coaxed morning and night from campers does NOT go towards the upkeep of the ablution block, any power bills, toilet paper, hot water, road maintenance etc. All of that is paid for by Council. Government grants are obtained for proposed works and inmates from the local prison undertake work there too.

Locals know the score, that the area is a free campsite and refuse to pay for what is a council declared free camping ground.

If council has its way, and if the money collectors do too, houses will dot the town end of the lake. The subdivision has been knocked back, but the President of the volunteers Board, the Deputy Mayor, spoke in favour of the proposed subdivision on a recent bus tour for seniors.

The lakes future as a campground is under review. Proposals include leasing it to someone to create a private caravan park, handing it back to the DSE to maintain, or handing it over to the volunteers Board.

Ararat Rural Council:

 "The Green Hill Lake Development Board (a local incorporated community group) has asked if Council is willing to hand over the management of the reserve to their Board, and this has prompted Council to re-examine the current risks and issues involved in managing the reserve.

Ararat Rural City Council has reviewed and identified a number of risks and issues that need to be immediately addressed, including safety fencing, new warning signage, fire risk systems, and fire equipment. The implementation of some of these may be staged, and some need to be undertaken before this coming summer camping period. Some of the other issues involving considerable expense, such as upgrading toilets etc have been identified as being required in the longer term.

As part of this review, Council also looked at the potential consequences of charging camping fees at the reserve, and this would require Council to fully implement the current Caravan Park Regulations, and lead to a number of changes to strictly regulate the camping area. This would potentially change the whole nature of the reserve, and include changes to the form, position, and number of camping and caravan sites, and would likely have a very negative effect on the quality of the natural camping experience at Green Hill Lake.

For the time being Council has chosen to discontinue camping fees, to allow the community time to consider the best management options for Green Hill Lake." 

http://council-services.ararat.vic.gov.au/news/view/news/229-green-hill-lake-media-information-sheet

More information about what Council is considering can be found here:

http://www.araratadvertiser.com.au/story/376955/spruce-up-for-green-hill-lake-reserve-at-ararat/

So if you dislike being hounded morning and night for $5 when you are not required to pay, just say NO and wait for the response! And if you dislike handing over money as demanded morning and night with no receipt given, that's because it's illegal to ask for fees but not a donation.

The issue is not the $5; it is that despite it being a Council declared free campsite, campers are pestered morning and night for a donation. What will happen to the approx $30,000 in the volunteers' account if they are not granted management of the area? Who benefits from the rezoning of the land adjoining the lake? Is there any connection between the proposed subdivision and rezoning and those on the volunteers Greenhill Lake Development Board?

-- Edited by Wonderworld on Sunday 11th of November 2012 06:38:12 PM

-- Edited by Wonderworld on Sunday 11th of November 2012 06:40:09 PM

Whoa, hang on sandsmere, local politics is what provides us with campsites, free or otherwise.

 

I'm not disputing the pleasant surrounds of the lake and what an enjoyable stay you may have there; before it is overshadowed by houses from the controversial subdivision which reeks of vested interests.

 

The lake can be a very enjoyable stay. It is a great place to stay if the hoons, constant traffic from those seeking male to male sexual liaisons and the drug dealers don't interrupt your enjoyment of the lake.

 

The issue is that it is a designated FREE camp but travellers, not locals,  are harassed morning and night to cough up $5 which goes into an account holding $30,000 out of which little is spent on the lake grounds except for the mowing. That is the sum total of what the Board is allowed to do, mow.

 

Yes, usually the facilities are nice and clean. Why? Because a contractor cleans the toilets and all those in the Shire; he is responsible for the cleanliness of the facilities, not the Board. In fact, one elderly man camping at the lake took it upon himself to clean the toilets between contractor visits, and he still was made to cough up the $5 a night! No one from the Board touches the facilities!

 

I do give a rats as to where the $5 goes, and what will happen to the $30,000 if and when the Board do not convince Council they can manage the lake with their few elderly members.

 

Greenhill Lake is a FREE campsite.

-- Edited by Webmaster on Thursday 15th of November 2012 05:32:37 AM

No need for me to " hang on " wonderworld . I was a visitor to the area , and reported the fact that the campsite

was damn good value at $5 per night You highjacked the topic to spruke about your own agenda .

It's only your say-so that all this inside stuff is going on . No proof has been offered .

We were not harassed morning and night for money at all .We had 1 visit the first evening we were there , paid

the $15 for 3 nights , and are happy .

 

That's my last say on the subject on this forum .  Cheers

Impugning the integrity of the deputy Mayor of this council without proof could land this forum in legal action.

For God's sake. It's either a good camp (free or $5, so what) or it's not. All the rest is simply local politics, basically in my opinion, bull***t to anyone not living in the area. As for the previous warning, all the inferences (subtle as the proverbial brick) were made previously in both posts by the poster issuing the warning.

Darrell & Sandra