FreeCamps

Yarra Ranges: sleeping in your car

Council rules: prohibited without a permit

Yarra Ranges Council has been read. Under the Yarra Ranges Neighbourhood Amenity Local Law, clause 5.5:

Yarra Ranges prohibits camping in any public place in a vehicle, tent or caravan, or in any temporary or provisional form of accommodation, unless in a prescribed area.

A person must not camp in any public place in a vehicle, tent or caravan or in any temporary or provisional form of accommodation unless in an area prescribed

The Yarra Ranges camping prohibition does not apply to a person camping in an area because of an elevated risk or threat of bushfire, or a severe weather event.

5.5(a) does not apply to a person who camps in an area due to an elevated risk, threat of bushfire or severe weather event

The only council read anywhere on this site whose camping prohibition carries a safety exception on its face: it does not apply to someone camping because of an elevated risk or threat of bushfire, or a severe weather event. Yarra Ranges also publishes the law as a web page rather than only as a PDF, which is why this one could be read without downloading anything.

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 a Victorian state forest a person must not camp unless the camp is more than 20 metres from any bog, dam, spring or bore, and must not camp in the same area — anywhere within 200 metres of where they first camped — for more than 28 consecutive nights. Each carries a maximum penalty of 10 penalty units.

The state forest regulations do not apply to state forest that is regulated watercourse land, unless that land is a forest reserve, a forest park or the Yarra Tributaries Forest Reserve.

In Victoria a penalty set out at the foot of a provision of an Act or a subordinate instrument is a maximum: the offence is punishable by a penalty not exceeding the one set out.

The Victorian Government's own guidance uses different words: 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. That is guidance, not the regulation; where the two differ, the regulation is the law.

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 Yarra Ranges. The closest 8 places this site holds start 204 km away, in a straight line rather than by road.

Search from a different place

Where this comes from

  • “A person must not camp in any public place in a vehicle, tent or caravan or in any temporary or provisional form of accommodation unless in an area prescribed” — Neighbourhood Amenity Local Law (HTML version), Yarra Ranges Council. Retrieved 1 Sep 2026.
  • “5.5(a) does not apply to a person who camps in an area due to an elevated risk, threat of bushfire or severe weather event” — Neighbourhood Amenity Local Law (HTML version), Yarra Ranges Council. Retrieved 1 Sep 2026.
  • “A person must not camp in a State forest unless the camp is located more than 20 metres from any bog, dam, spring or bore.” “Subject to subregulation (4), a person must not camp in the same area of a State forest for more than 28 consecutive nights.” “For the purposes of subregulation (2), same area means any location within 200 metres of the area at which the person first camps in a State forest.” “Penalty: 10 penalty units.” — Forests (Recreation) (Temporary) Regulations 2021, S.R. No. 44/2021, authorised version No. 004 incorporating amendments as at 23 June 2026, Victorian Government — Chief Parliamentary Counsel. Retrieved 12 Oct 2026.
  • “These Regulations do not apply to any area of State forest that is regulated watercourse land (within the meaning of the Land Act 1958) unless that land is any of the following—” “a forest reserve;” “a forest park;” “the Yarra Tributaries Forest Reserve.” — Forests (Recreation) (Temporary) Regulations 2021 (S.R. No. 44/2021), authorised version, Victorian Government — Chief Parliamentary Counsel. Retrieved 12 Oct 2026.
  • “A penalty set out at the foot of a provision of an Act, subordinate instrument or local law must, unless the context otherwise requires, be construed as indicating that a contravention (whether by act or omission) of the provision is an offence against the Act, subordinate instrument or local law punishable on a finding of guilt (with or without recording a conviction as required by section 7) by a penalty not exceeding that set out.” — Sentencing Act 1991, authorised version No. 234 incorporating amendments as at 30 September 2026, Victorian Government — Chief Parliamentary Counsel. Retrieved 12 Oct 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.