A popular low-cost campground in South Australia is facing an uncertain future after the local council received a ‘legal letter’ pushing for the site to be closed.
The management agreement over the Rapid Bay campground – about 90 kilometres south of Adelaide – ends in September, further fuelling speculation that the beachside site might face the axe.
The District Council of Yankalilla has now voted to look into the pros and cons of closing the campground.
According to the ABC, a report to the council meeting said a ‘legal letter’ had been received ‘requesting that the management agreement is not renewed, and that the campground is closed’.
It did not explain what concerns the letter writer had, although elsewhere in the report it said some Rapid Bay residents preferred the site be used as public open space.
Council chief executive Nigel Morris told the ABC that it had engaged a lawyer to respond.
“I always want to resolve these things without lawyers — they come with an extensive cost,” he said. “I hope we can resolve it without going any further, I have been working with the residents of Rapid Bay for quite some time and that will continue … hopefully, it doesn’t have to be solved by legal matters.”
The Cape Jervis Progress Association is pushing for the campsite to remain open, fearing that – if it were to shut – it would encourage illegal camping.
The group’s chairwoman, Lauren Barrington, said similar issues may be created to those which happened when the campground was closed last year during coronavirus restrictions.
“I think there would be … increased rubbish and an increased security risk because there’s no management in place to control that and there is significant Indigenous heritage there,” she told the ABC. “The impact to local businesses would be great — and to the environment.”
The ABC said the council did not provide any details on the resident who was pushing for the closure, apart from that the person lived in a nearby street to the campground.
The site is Crown land under the custodianship of the council and is zoned for camping and recreation.
If no info provided just ignore it, will not cut it in my book, a reason should have been stated as to the WHY.
Crown land should be available for all citizens’ use, personally I believe the camp ground should remain open.
Having stayed at Rapid Bay camp ground on several occasions, I say “close it at your peril “.There are few cheap camping grounds on the Fleurieu Peninsular and Rapid Bay is ideally situated to encourage tourists to go there. We have enjoyed each of our stays.
Why on earth would anyone want it closed?
Maybe to try to push people into a caravan park as that’s the most common reason.
Well i hope they don’t close it. with the increase of vans on the roads over the past 12 months due to Covid 19 the increase in vans touring will place an enormous strain on the existing caravan and camping site. i an imagine the cost to stay a the site will increase.. We are staying at Shell Harbor in a few weeks for the week end, we were going to extend our stay for a week but at $60 per night we will not and move on some where else.
My goodness that’s very expensive $60 night have never been to Shell Harbour. Can’t say I blame you for moving on.
The question is why does one person a resident have so much power.