More than 300 people completed a survey conducted by The Standard asking whether locals should be allowed to camp in the sites due to the limits that apply due to coronavirus.

Over half the respondents (56 per cent) said the sites should only be available to out-of-town visitors.

There were mixed views with some saying the city needs the cash injection visitors will bring while others said locals should be allowed to camp in their own backyard.

"Tough as it seems the reality is the locals don't bring in the additional revenue to the town that people from outside the region bring in. And besides they can still enjoy the beach if the live locally," one respondent wrote.

"Us regional residents have been allowed to travel so I think it's fair for people who have been in lockdown areas should be first choice and help with the economy in the town," wrote another.

But some locals weighed in on the ballot system.

"We should be able to camp in our own town," another person wrote.

"Some of us can't go away."

"We support the town all year - therefore, we have a right to camp out as usual at our favourite spots," wrote another."

Only about half the number of people will be able to holiday at Warrnambool's council-run beachside caravan parks this summer under a ballot system, the council revealed last week.

COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have prompted the move to limit the number of holidaymakers to 1800 across 500 sites at Surfside and Shipwreck Bay holiday parks rather than the usual 3500.

Acting chief executive officer Vicki King said it had been a difficult decision to make.

"We've received a considerable amount of feedback on the plan - positive and negative - and we do understand that for some there is great frustration that a long-standing summer camping tradition is being interrupted," she said.

"But we simply can't allocate spaces on the basis that someone who has been visiting for 20 years has a greater entitlement than someone who has been visiting for 15 years.

"So we've opted for the ballot to provide everyone with the same opportunity."

A council spokesman said the ballot process was under way.

"The first stage was to contact all those with existing summer bookings to ask if they were interested in being a part of the ballot," he said.

"The draw starts today and we will give people who receive an offer of a campsite a reasonable period of time to consider whether the offer fits in with their summer holiday plans.

"The nature of the draw means that it will be a combination of visitors and local people occupying campsites.

"Due to the random nature of the ballot draw we anticipate the balance of visitors/locals will be similar to previous years."

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