The seaside village of Queenscliff on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula looks set to be the latest to fall ‘victim’ to the bout of cabin fever sweeping Australian caravan parks.
According to a report in the Geelong Advertiser, holidaymakers could lose 21 sites at council-run caravan parks in the borough if council follows the recommendations of its draft caravan parks masterplan.
The masterplan, which has been released for community consultation, aims to increase accommodation and year-round occupancy options at several caravan parks while increasing overall council revenue.
Planners hope that increasing the numbers of cabin accommodation options will see an increase in the number of people using caravan park facilities within the borough.
The Geelong Advertiser says that the council-run caravan parks at Queenscliff Recreation Reserve, Victoria Park, Golightly Park and Royal Park contribute around $1.67 million in revenue to the borough each year.
However, a council report said that this figure represents a ‘low yield’ and considers the need for tourists to stay longer and visit outside regular periods to support local business in the off-peak season.
The planned reduction in site numbers come as recent works for the Queenscliff Sports Precinct saw the loss of 46 camping sites at the recreation reserve.
Cr Ross Ebbels told the Advertiser that the project would offer more accommodation appropriate for long-term stays and help the borough extend its camping season.
“Obviously the report highlights the reduction of sites,” he said. “But also most importantly the increase in the quality and variety of options that are available in the borough.”
However, Golightly Caravan Park Residents Association Incorporated president Grant Wiltshire said the group was ‘bitterly disappointed’ in the contents of the masterplan, which would see Golightly Park into a ‘fully operated cabin park’.
“Since the masterplan was announced we’ve been constantly seeking engagement with the borough as a key stakeholder and we haven’t been part of the process,” he said. “It shows a total lack of respect for those people who have patronised these caravan parks for many years.”
The Geelong Advertiser reports that work on the redevelopment is not set to begin until at least 2019 and council has promised anyone impacted will “be given preference to access other caravan park sites available at that time or as vacancies occur in the future”.
Doesn,t seem to bother them that they are rooting the motel industry,but when someone wants to free camp somewhere they are all up in arms. Funny isnt it. Stevo,
Geelong Council has to be the most negative body opposing free camping or low cost sites on the peninsular, despite the region being in a decades long economic slump, you’d think they’d wake up to the $millions travellers would bring to the region if encouraged to stay
The world is full of greed, only going to worse in the future
Maybe it is time to bypass Geelong until they wake up.
Who can afford “long term stays” in cabins?
You wont stop them so just free camp in council car parks or kmart
Even though I believe in free enterprise its the council that dosnt so lets start by taking no notice of there no camping signs and fg them
Agree 100% Paul Stevenson. Caravan Parks are the first to go running to council to complain about people ‘free’ camping near them but they are taking business of Motels. We don’t here about Motels running off complaining about cabins in CVP.
For goodness sake,
WAKE UP LOCAL GOVERNMENT!
I work in shopping centers as i travel around australia as see just how much revenue the free camping or grey head nomads bring to an area. Why should one over priced caravan park get all the revenue from travelers.
I see grey head nomads spending more in towns and profiting many businesses so the spending gets a shared off to to many businesses rather than just the carravan parks.
I hope more greyhead nomads boycot towns with no free camping
Grey nomads are year round travellers with money to spend. Geelong has long been seen as a very RV unfriendly place. We are not wanted there. Plenty of RV friendly locations 50ks or so from Geelong. Check the Wikicamps app. No need to go to Geelong except maybe for the footy.
The grey nomads keep country economies going – just look who is around town on weekdays and during off-season!
I myself favour a cabin, as I do not camp or have motor home or caravan, only occasionally use campervan. I suggest investment in more en-suite sites, rather than cramming in rows of cabins, often blocking lovely views.
It’s all very well putting lots of cabins in they’re only fully occupied Xmas, easter and some of the school holidays, then the caravan parks are offering discounts or 3 nights for. Price of 2 as they struggle to fill cabins the rest of year. This is why caravanners choose to free camp with the lack of or small sites in preference for cabins. Grey nomads keep caravan parks full the rest of the year and spend money in towns
No wonder people are free camping there closing or down sizing caravan parks good on you geelong council.they hate caravaners
Well said Paul Stevenson.
The same is happening in NSW with the NSW Government setting up a Trust to operate Caravan Parks that are seeing site reductions, cabins installed and fees that have seen many no longer afford to stay. We reduced our stay from 2 weeks to 1 then told we had to take 2 weeks otherwise we would not be able to reserve our site for next year. We have gone for spending 5 weeks throughout the year to zero. This will be our first easter at home for 16 years. Thank you Reflections Holiday Park.