The much-loved free camping area at Rockhampton’s Kershaw Gardens may have been forced to close last February … but the fight continues.
The Rockhampton Regional Council seems to be adopting the ‘we have may lost the battle but we haven’t lost the war’ approach as it seeks new ways to offer short-term rest stops for campervans.
Under a new council proposal, stays at the precinct would be allowed, but limited to 48 hours, and no more than 35 self-contained recreational vehicles would be permitted there at a time.
The Morning Bulletin reports that the proposal will have to be approved at ministerial level and was met with instant opposition from the Caravan Parks Association of Queensland, which accused the council of ‘moving the goal posts to suit its own needs’.
Camping at the Kershaw Gardens precinct was stopped earlier this year after the Association won court proceedings against the council. It had successfully argued the camping area was set up in breach of the council’s planning scheme.
However, the council’s disappointment was reflected by the sign it erected at the entrance to the precinct.
It reads: “The Caravan Park Association of Queensland took Rockhampton Regional Council to court. They were successful in stopping us from offering this free service to our valued overnight guests. This means that Camper Vans, Caravans and RV’s will not be allowed to use Kershaw Gardens for overnight camping as of 15 February 2019. We want you to know that Council fought hard to allow overnight camping and are very disappointed with this result.”
Now, having gone back to the drawing board, the council believes its proposed Kershaw Gardens precinct allows for specific “tourist park” use to further encourage tourism.
But the Morning Bulletin reports that, under the new proposal, there would be further restrictions.
“Any potential tourist park within the Kershaw Gardens precinct excludes any cabins, tents or similar structures and does not allow for any ancillary activities,” council documents say.
The council believes its proposal provides for a “unique convenience type service” that offers not only a short-term rest area, but may also encourage longer-stay visitors.
CPAQ general manager Michelle Weston described the council’s actions as ‘highly disappointing’.
“It has been proven that high quality commercial caravan parks not only encourage visitors to stay in the region in excess of 48 hours, but as a result in turn have a significant, positive impact on the region’s economy,” she told the Bulletin.”This revised council proposal will in contrast have an overall negative economic impact upon the Rockhampton region.”
Ask the traders in the mall, what has happened to their turnover, during tourist season, since freedom camping at Kershaw Gardens was disallowed, not the greedy, self-interested caravan parks, who have their own agenda.
When I free camp I always spend in that area.
I spent thousands in Rockhampton by being able to stay at Kershaw Gardens. Had a lot of work done on my van at Pedders.
After it closed I moved on to Maryborough for more work. Your loss Rockhampton
Obviously the Council breached the law. Find somewhere else to get your “free” fix.
Jed, are you the owner of a caravan park in Rocky?
There’s always a Jed
Not a ‘free’ fix at all. I’d rather spend my money on an RV friendly establishment than provide it to a caravan park. I can guarantee that 100% of the money spent by those ‘freedom’ travellers will go to deserving town businesses just as 100% of the fees paid at the caravan park go into the owners pocket with a smaller proportion helping the town. Being a bully and a dinosaur will not help Rockhampton as a whole. There are plenty of travellers who will only stay in a caravan park and many who refuse to. Please do not try to dictate to others. Free choice always should reign in a free market environment. The more I read about greedy pushy caravan parks the more I am determined to avoid them.
Tried the pub camping – it’s great
Tried the CMCA sites – they’re great
Tried the town sponsored RV sites – they’re great
Tried caravan parks – not impressed at all.
Live and let live I say.
I have only free camped once, but I find this action by CPAQ to be very short sighted. Because of there action, I will not stop in a caravan park in Rockhampton again. I have stopped in those parks twice before. With the increasing numbers of Baby Boomers hitting the caravan trails, we need more places to stop, rest and camp.
When I Caravan Park Camp, I always spend in that area.
Last year I spent well over $600, and I am a solo traveller. I would not have stopped if Kewshaw Gardens was not available. I hope the local Council are able to find a win win for travellers.
We didn’t even bother going to Rockhampton this year and bypassed it , we loved the free camp in previous years and haves spent heaps only staying for 48 hours on the way from SA to FNQ we are fully self contained Caravan. , hope they can reopen , bypassed due to attitude of caravan park association We usually spread our accomodation with both parks and Supplement with free camping .
Well said Fred. We did exactly the same. We bypassed Rocky this year when visiting Queensland.
Let it be known CPAQ that even if you paid me to stay in a caravan park anywhere in Australia I would refuse as I do not like caravan park environment.
CPAQ are obviously a short sighted selfish bunch of people, who by their heavy handed attitudes of trying to force custom to their businesses have lost customer spending to whole towns. Lots of their parks are overpriced, offering unwanted facilities that are family oriented and not desired by many travellers, young and older. So struggling park owners only have themselves to blame for their organisations bad decisions.
I think the CPAQ are hypercrites as they not care in the least about the trade the took from the motels when they started putting in cabins. I will never use any van park that isa member of the CPAQ.
Well once again the free/ low cost camp issue is bugging c.p owners and relevant associations.
Who is the one filling what is called a caravan park full of cabins
Who is the one with c.ps that are not changing to suit self contained travellers
The customer is out there in great numbers. If c.p don’t evolve to suit it is their loss. They can quite readily attract more customers but they refuse to do so.
It is their choice and their loss
As a born and bred Rockhamptonite and a caravaner who loves to free camp why not move the camp to the area behind the dump point. Therefore affording a compromise to better suit all.
Times are tough. A lot of business organisation’s as are finding ways to ‘legally’ steal your hard earned. Somebody out there will find somewhere else to short stay free camp.. but the smell of the CP’s will linger on!
If all cp’s would offer as an alternative to their very expensive powered sites a reasonably priced non powered site with no access to the amenities block then more people would use the cp’s. As it is a lot of parks still charge like a wounded bull for a non powered bit of dirt. No wonder vanners prefer to free camp.
Just did trip Bundaberg to Karumba and bypassed Rockhampton for the above reasons.Yes you missed out on my hard earned dollars to and like some of the responses above by the time we fuel up,grocery up and maybe have a counter lunch we can easy part with 5-600 dollars. Rocky businesses are missing out on this.Stupid councils. Stevo,
Not the councils fault. The blame lays squarely with the CP operators and their antiquated admin people. I feel for the businesses of Rocky but their voices need to drown out the greedy few. I hope the council sticks to their guns and gets the RV park opened again as I’d like to visit Rocky in my RV.
I don’t need the cp’s power or toilets or shower or anything for that matter so why the hell would I stay in an overpriced cramped noisey cp.
This is the easiest way to check how money much money these free campers bring to the rockhampton businesses. set up a reciept box for all reciepts of money spent in rocky. This has been done before in the sunshine coast area with very surprising results
Where are the free camps on the Sunshine Coast? We can only find overpriced caravan parks, so we drive past
As a regular traveller to FNQ spending considerable amounts of money on supplies & vehicle repairs in Rocky, this year we bypassed this area & will do so in future unless free/low cost camping is restored.
We travel in fully self contained motorhome.
It seems to me that CP’s want it all, first they remove a high percentage of sites to enable installation of cabins, then they shrink the sizes of sites so users are so cramped they no longer want to stay in CP’s. I wonder if the motels in the same towns were able to persuade the councils thet CP’s are not motels…
I hope the councils rezone the land
Murgon opened a free camp. Lady at the information centre Said they found out how much the free campers spent in town, not sure if they asked for receipts, but it was decided to keep free camp open as it was an overwhelming success. We stayed 2 days. Spent $800. Car repair, diesel, new tv, iga, bakery, pub, newsagent. Good on you murgon. Hope rockhampton council is successful as i would like to go back there.
I do wonder how CPAQ members outside of Rockhampton feel about their association spending their fees on suing the Council in one area of Qld?
Not to mention wasting Council money to defend the case. I know, Council might increase the rates of the parks to cover their legal costs!
Grey Nomads, vote with your feet!
It is annoying that the court case was not even fought on business grounds. I do feel sorry for the caravan parks, but I do often wonder what I am getting for my money, having an en-suite and no children. I don’t want to subsidise families or people travelling without a kitchen or shower. I’ve noticed many outback caravan parks are reducing prices but wish the ones in towns would offer cheap “plot only” spots. By the way, I believe that if you stay in a car park next to a recreation reserve you can’t be fined, because these are not controlled by council/ staff. Note; “No Camping” signs are usually between the car park and reserve. However, my suggestion is that you do your own research. (This does apply to the Central Coast in NSW, to the best of my knowledge.)
Stuff the c parks. They don’t offer anything we want or need. They are fools. Why can’t they at least educate themselves too easy to speak to the c.m.c.a or even the shire president in Julia Creek.