Greater Geelong: sleeping in your car
Council rules: prohibited without a permit
Greater Geelong City Council has been read. Under the City of Greater Geelong Neighbourhood Amenity Local Law 2024:
Greater Geelong prohibits camping on Council land or a road without a permit, unless you are in a licensed caravan park or in an area the Council has determined is available for camping.
A Person must not, without a Permit, Camp on any Council Land or a Road unless such Person is within a licensed caravan park or an area determined to be available for Camping purposes by the Council.
Geelong names two exceptions in the clause itself — a licensed caravan park, or an area the Council has determined is available for camping — which is a narrower thing than a general permit power.
Signs override this page. Whatever is signed at the site is the rule that applies, no matter what is written here.
What applies here regardless
The local law above is this council’s own. What is settled state-wide, and applies outside a council area, is where camping is allowed in Victoria.
In Victoria you can camp anywhere in a state forest, provided you set up at least 20 metres from waterways and stay no longer than 28 consecutive nights.
State forests are not national parks or state parks. Those are managed by Parks Victoria under different rules, and forest reserves are different again — in a forest reserve you may camp only in the official campgrounds the land manager provides, not in informal spots.
Nearest places with a published rule
The state road network has no mapped rest area inside Greater Geelong. The closest 8 places this site holds start 220 km away, in a straight line rather than by road.
- Halls Stopping Bay Northbound, Moama220 km N in a straight line
- Halls Truck Parking Bay Southbound, Moama221 km N in a straight line
- The Keyhole Rest Area, Moama227 km N in a straight line
- Nine Mile Parking Bay Northbound, Moama233 km N in a straight line
- Eleven Mile Rest Area, Moama235 km N in a straight line
- Long Paddock Visitors Site, Mathoura240 km N in a straight line
- Mathoura Rest Area253 km N in a straight line
- Deniliquin Information Bay283 km N in a straight line
Where this comes from
- “A Person must not, without a Permit, Camp on any Council Land or a Road unless such Person is within a licensed caravan park or an area determined to be available for Camping purposes by the Council.” — Neighbourhood Amenity Local Law 2024, Greater Geelong City Council. Retrieved 1 Sep 2026.
- “You can camp anywhere in a state forest if you set up at least 20 metres from waterways and stay no longer than 28 consecutive nights.” — Camping — Visiting State forests, Victorian Government, Conservation Regulator. Retrieved 30 Aug 2026.
- “State forests are different to national parks and state parks, which are managed by Parks Victoria and have different rules.” “In forest reserves (general): You can camp in the official campgrounds provided by the land manager but not in informal locations where there are no facilities.” — Visiting State forests, Victorian Government, Conservation Regulator. Retrieved 30 Aug 2026.