Visitors to the famous Carnarvon Blowholes in WA will soon have to pay for the privilege of visiting, and camping, there.
Following a recent vote, the Shire of Carnarvon Council say that – from July 1 – a day pass to visit the area will cost $10 per vehicle.
A campsite fee of $30 per night will also be introduced. The fee covers up to six people per site, and no concessions are available.
In a statement, the council said that all overnight camping would also require a chemical toilet.
“This decision reinforces the council’s ongoing commitment to the sustainable management, and day use will continue under the provisions of the Blowholes Reserve Management Plan 2014-2036,” it said.
The blowholes are a huge attraction. PIC: Shire of Carnarvon Council
A Local Membership Pass, costing $100, is also being introduced. The annual pass includes unlimited camping and day use for up to two vehicles and six people.
“This initiative is designed to ensure that the Blowholes Eco Reserve is well cared for and preserved, while supporting its long-term sustainability and the future of this magnificent natural treasure,” the council said. “The Shire will continue to collaborate with the Blowholes Protection Association and the Department of Planning, Land and Heritage regarding the ongoing tenure of the Reserve and other associated matters.”
Carnarvon Shire President Eddie Smith told the ABC that charging visitors was not to generate a profit, but would financially support the amenities on site and manage ecological damage, including littering.
He said the ‘user pays’ model was already in use elsewhere, and the new charges would be similar to the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions fees for national parks.
“If you expect waste services and the toilets and everything else to be there and maintained properly, it costs money,” Mt Smith said.
The ABC reports that, late last year, the council removed the facilities at the blowholes and stopped servicing the reserve, citing ‘the inability to implement the Blowholes Reserve Management Plan’.
Blowholes Protection Association president Shayne Aylmore told the ABC the area was a key part of the local culture, and the removal of the toilet had resulted in visitors ‘trashing’ the area, defecating in the sand dunes, and causing environmental degradation.
He said the local community volunteer group had proposed to pay for ongoing maintenance of the site at no cost to locals or the shire, but the idea was reportedly rejected by the council.
“We were going to do that free of charge so that the people of Carnarvon could use the blows without having to pay for it,” Mr Aylmore told the BAC. “We’ve spoken to several different agencies, businesses that are willing to assist us as a volunteer group in providing the service … we’ve got the funds to do it.”
There are fears in some quarters that the introduction of fees will reduce visitor numbers at the iconic attraction.
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It is a 100klm round trip into the blowholes, I am camped here now and they only blow when it is low tide, the public toilets were boarded up even though there are a lot of day visitors coming here and then they wondered why people were defacating in the bush????Everyone camped here is very respectful and I have yet to see any rubbish blowing around!
Most campers are one or two people so charging for 6 is ridiculous, no water, rubbish removal, dump spot and a threefold increase in fees is unfair! Giving Carnarvon a miss from now on!
Too right Jeannie, Typical money grabbers, but do not want to work for it. Closing the facilities and then complain, wow there are some real brains at that council, or should that be brainless.
Certainly wont be inspiring me to pull in for a look, especially when I have to pay $10 to look at my own country and supply the toilet.
100% CORRECT
It’s another money grab for doing nothing.
What do they expect when they take the toilets away, these idiots in the council would not hold a job in private business.
Lucky I saw them when they were free, but, cannot seeing any toilets.
Another Australian icon that belongs to the Australian people taken over by the Big frogs in little puddles laying down the law..tieing bows in red tape.
You won’t be able to go anywhere soon to see a natural attraction in our country without the restrictions and charges. There are plenty of other people friendly ways and means to look after our natural attractions rather than always stinging the public.
Cheers.
With what?
Has anyone ever asked you if you had used your chemical toilet and then gone to check… People may have toilets on board but do not use them… What is this “Local Pass” that has endless camping for two vehicles (caravans,trailers included ?) for six people….Sounds like my type of holiday $100 for the yearly pass and all I need is a shovel.
Me too …. great value
Soon there will be nowhere for Aussies to go to see our own country. Give these councils the flick and bypass the area completely. That is the only way to teach them.
I agree plenty of blowholes around the country. Don’t think I’ll visit Canarvan any time soon
Aren’t we lucky we visited before all this happened. This is another way to kill off tourism and the benefits to the local community. $30 to park your caravan for a night nothing more than a cash grab.
They’re not that good anyway. Better places elsewhere.
Looks like this country of ours is less and less ours
So very true
If they are going to restore toilets at the site, why do they require vans to be self-contained?
The Council is voted in and can be voted out if locals took action.
Maybe that is how the locals are taking action!
With preferential voting in place, good luck!
Have been twice and camped.Would definitely not pay $30 to camp with no facilities
Carnavon small business will miss the business that campers and alike would have spent. Bit shot sighted local council decision.
We’ve been there 2 or 3 times but if we are going to have to pay to go we will probably not go again
What a joke,wake up councilors your small businesses will suffer,not stopping there again
Valueing tourists is not really something WA is good at.
Yes most certainly it is a deterent, sadly we won’t ever be there again!
With the over priced fees for an overnight stay for folks who have a totally fully self Contained vehicle, is a typical example of another greedy, power hungry council!
Even more so in this case as the local Volunteer group had indicated they were keen as well as had the finances to maintain the Site which however the money hungry Carnarvon council chose to ignore!
Campers who don’t have fully self contained vehicles or facilities, well yea, maybe a fair modest charge to them but to charge everybody no matter what, is as mentioned just another greedy uncaring and incompetent group of council employees!
They also clearly don’t care about the local businesses in Carnarvon who will loose customers and income!
Its good bye Carnarvon until your council wakes up to themselves and gets over being blinded by their own self importance!
Thank you to “The Grey Nomads” for keeping us all informed, well done! Cheers, James.
$30 per night for nothing? Seriously Carnarvon Shire, you can stick that up your bum.
I live in William Bay in the Shire of Denmark and we have Greens Pool and Elephant Rocks close to where we live. It is in a National Park. So far there is no charge associated with visiting it.but it is only a matter of time before charges are levied. It is extremely popular and during the holiday periods the car park is crammed and cars are parked back up William Bay Road for up to 700 metres, or more in some cases.I can’t see it remaining a free visitation, but it is for day use only.
Times are changing, and not for the better.
I recently visited Albany in West Aust. Could not believe the negative council attitude towards the travelling people in Australia. No camping signs everywhere, Council Rangers patrolling carparks and laybys, Many people actually working in jobs that contribute to the regions economy have no-where to stay. Caravan parks are way over the top $70-$100 per night. Council may as well put up signs, we want your money but bugger off we don’t want you. I think Denmark has a sign saying tourists not welcome.
I lived in WA for many years and have returned to visit many times. In my view WA is 2 hours and 25 years behind the rest of the country.
100% CORRECT
And they wonder why people are going overseas for hoildays.
see all the second hand rigs for sale.
People are working out the full cost + problems travel in Australia i think
100% CORRECT
We’ve been there and also swum in the aquarium. No need to go back, plenty of other places in Aus to see. It is a pity though that some people are grubs.
Went there once and was impressed by the natural occurrences, especially the HMAS Sydney memorial. Maybe the council should remove all its blowhards and get modern. Carnarvon, the town, is quite pleasant to use as a central point, AND, spend some of your money in the retail outlets. My understanding is that if a road is gazetted and not a toll road, access is free to all those simply transiting from one end to the other.
We loved our time here. With the amount being charged we won’t be back and we’ll skip Carnarvon in the future. Very sad. On our last trip we spent over $1000 in Carnarvon at various business. That’s monry that will go to another town now.
I would like to thank this council for making my decision for me. I can now quite happily turn left and bypass this money-grabbing wet wonder. Not that I am against paying for something I would like to see, but to be charged for 5 ghosts riding with me, and no facilities when I get there, is a bit rich.
It’s a bypass for me when I next head west. There are lots of blowholes around the county.Now I know why the locals go to Bali instead!
Great reply ,
I worked in the Pilbara and on Barrow Island for 8 years, travelling the coastal West Coast I found the tourism operators hostile. North of Port Hedland is a high risk Murray Valley encephalitis after the wet, yet the tourism operators don’t want this public knowledge, there is no cure for this disease.
For that money the council would be making toilets and water and hot showers available for all. No way we will be there. The local businesses will suffer now. Rate payers should sack council and put the area first. Tourism pays but not blackmail not robbery.
Another moneygrab. They absolutely provide nothing. Sorry Carnarvon is ok but I will give it a mis.
If you want to go to Quobba station which is north of the blowholes and uses the same road , how does the council going to manage that passage without being hit with a fee?
These natural wonders are all Australians, they are not councils, not national parks not aboriginal lands either, they are not anyone’s, these people trying to profit from them is disgustingly corrupt, councils and government get paid more than enough from us, and they waste our money and then try and come up with scams on how to tax us more.
We pay taxes on our income, taxes on our capital gains, taxes on everything we buy, including vehicles and fuel to get to these locations. Now they want to tax us to see these things and tax us to sleep in our vehicles near them?
Enough is enough, keep this crap up and I will stop traveling Australia and I will go overseas and spend my money there.
I have paid millions in Australia on taxes I’m sick to death of constantly being told I need to pay more damn taxes.
Scratched from my list , along with a lot of sites in the NT
Yes, the fees will impact on whether I visit or not. In fact, I won’t.
I’ve been there many times at a basic fee, and it’s a great spot. But $30 (no concession available) is ridiculous.
I have to ask – is the $10/day on top of the camping fee?
I guess the Council hasn’t looked at the big picture & the money that we bring into their township. They will realise the loss eventually & i hope it isn’t too late for the businesses that depend on this trade.
I stopped there a few years back and the problem then was the shire – the dump point was overflowing and obviously had not had any attention for a long time but otherwise no rubbish but lots of campers – from memory it was $15 per night per person for provision of nothing other than a bit of the edge of a track to pull up on. Wont bother going back which is probably what the shire wants anyway.
That amount to see the blowhole is ridiculous. The people visiting have spent quite a deal of money getting this far in their travels.
It’s not like a day pass for a national park where there may be multiple places and stops.
I agree with the camping fee and requirements.
The council should provide the facilities in conjunction with the local businesses and has been stated the volunteers would maintain the facilities.
Count me out other places to visit, no toilets are they mad, the amount of people driving on a day trip and no wonder they are going in the bush, Unbelievable
How do arrogant councels like these ever get elected & re-elected? !!
The Blowholes Protection Association offered to maintain this whole area for FREE and the council REJECTED that !!
It’s time to vote out these Communists from the Councils, State and Federal governments !!
We wont be paying to see our own country, we’ve paid our Parks & Gardens taxes, that included ALL the public sites & land and State & National forests !!
STAND UP PEOPLE for your rights – get rid of these type of bureaucrats, they’re wrecking our country