Tasmania's Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) has launched the first phase of an online booking system for selected paid campsites. The system covers campgrounds in Narawntapu, Maria Island, Freycinet, Mount Field, South Bruny and Mount William national parks, as well as Fortescue Bay, Bigs Beach Conservation Area, Arthur-Pieman Conservation Area and Lime Bay State Reserve. Fees are now charged per site for groups of up to six people: $18 per night for standard sites, $24 for premium unpowered sites and $35 for premium powered sites. Larger groups must book additional sites. Freycinet and Fortescue Bay will use numbered sites, while the other eight locations remain unnumbered. The system aims to address "phantom camping", where campers book sites without occupying them.
