A Queensland council has announced it is getting out of the caravan park business … and exiting its ownership and operation of its four parks over the course of the current financial year.
In a statement, North Burnett Regional Council said the move was in line with its commitment to focus its resources on the core services which matter most to its community.
“Operating caravan parks is not a core or required service of local government,” the statement said. “Council considers that these facilities are better placed being owned and managed by private entities or community organisations which can grow them sustainably, while continuing to support our region’s visitor population and associated tourism and economic development.”
North Burnett Regional Council is exiting the caravan park business. PIC: Pixabay
The North Burnett region is 90 kilometres or so west of Maryborough.
The council said that, in making the decision, it had adopted a multifaceted approach for each of its four caravan parks, with tailored plans for each site:
Council will retain trusteeship of the state reserve on which the caravan park is situated but will go to market with a public tender to engage a new lessee to take over the caravan park business and on-site assets.
Council will resign as trustee of the site and dispose of the associated assets. This does not preclude another party applying to the State to be appointed as trustee and operate the site as a caravan park. That appointment will be a matter for the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development to determine.
As this is a site which Council owns as freehold land, Council will sell the site and the caravan park business by public tender. If that process does not result in a sale of the site, Council will consider returning to the market to seek a long-term lessee.
As this is a site which council owns as freehold land, it will subdivide the land to separate the caravan park and workers camp from an existing lot containing other council facilities. The new lots containing the caravan park and workers camp, will be sold via public tender. If the public tender process does not result in a sale of the site, council will return to market to seek a long-term lessee.
The council said that, while each site required a different process, the overall objective was to withdraw from providing caravan park services by June 30, 2026.
It said that the decision had been made in the long-term interests of improving the council’s financial sustainability, whilst also affording opportunities for renewal and reinvestment at each site.
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I think this trend will continue and spread. It could have a positive and negative impact. The positive impact could lead to these sites having more investment into the facilities . On the negative side however, higher fees would most likely be a result.
Higher fees::: council can do that and not inject any monies in :: i dont see what the difference between who owns it has on fee structure
A few years ago our Council was attempting through fair means and foul to take over community Caravan parks as cash cows to supplement rates and charges. When I hear them say they are concentrating on providing services, alarm bells start ringing. I would read into that statement :
a. They are short of capital to fund new or replace essential assets and /or they are fat and inefficient and/ or Govt grants and funding is drying up.
b. They figure the market is at its peak and they are getting out while the getting is good.
c. The parks are run down and need substantial restoration and repair.
d. Any other reason other than what they say.
I agree!
We’re Queenslanders and wouldn’t stayin these areas anyway. I suppose it comes down to how much council can $
Hi Helen, we’re from NSW and we just love staying in these small Queensland country town caravan parks! They have a great character all of their own and so peaceful. Have previously stayed at Biggenden and more recently had 3 nights at Eidsvold. We played golf next door to the caravan park, went to the RM Williams light show, had a great meal at the pub, enjoyed the cafe, helped a local in a broken down truck in the main street load sheep into another truck, went to the cattle sale as a spectator and met other great locals. So we spent plenty of dollars in Eidsvold, a town we have no connection to. So it’s a sad day when your local Council and fellow Queenslanders have no interest in supporting these great bush communities. Another nail in the tourism coffin of Eidsvold, sponsored by your very own Council. It takes a special short sighted talent to do that…
Agree to that. Some don’t know how good they have things.
Councils that say they have to rid themselves of these van parks often just skim off money for short term gain. There’s always an ulterior motive or just plain financial incompetence.
Just another step in the gradual privatisation of “people” owned assets to corporate greed, another step in the wrong direction.
Yep. Councils should do what the people want not fill councilers pockets. I wonder how long before Hervey Bay council do the same. They should sack all consultants and make decisions they are responsible for and can’t blame advisers for. What happened to asking ratepayers what they want without designing surveys to get the answers council wants. It makes one wonder if we really live in a democracy.
Exactly! Councils only see the $$ they can get, they don’t have a soul anymore!
Most councils have no idea what their core business is, with caravan parks being leased out by most is usually the norm so council just takes the money and leaves the running to some else ….
Just to let you know, all permanent residents have been sent eviction notices. Most that I know of are pensioners with nowhere to go and no means to support themselves. Note, phone numbers for housing commission have been supplied, even though there’s none available, absolutely disgusting.
This is very sad, if someone buys the park can’t all these permanent residents stay.
The North Burnett has been very broke for a lot of years so this does not surprise me. They have even shut their pools as well. It seems that paying huge wage amounts to the councilors is such a problem for these areas. Their wage bill is huge but not to the ones that actually do the work just to the shiny bums.Have friends that owned land there and run pools. They are like most councils hard to get along with. This also includes the South Burnett council as well. Half the reason that we sold up and moved as people don’t understand that its the rate payers that have to cough up to get these poor managers out of the shit. Stayed at a lot of parks in WA that are owned and run by council and they were terrific.
Now sell all the swimming pools to the education dept because they are only open for school children most of the time anyway
No more permanents if they follow the other council sold van parks
This will ultimately place more use on the free camp sites in the area which are councils run so the council will save and gain nothing in the long term except a large headache and the towns will suffer a loss of income. As the towns in these areas are already struggling to survive it seems the council will suffer with the drop in population. But this is the up and coming trend to corporate control.
Great, the council will get a short term burst of cash flow, spent on refurbishing the chambers and the mayors office. The purchasers will increase charges, complain to council no one is staying there, then develope the place for high density units.
Look at merry beach in nsw – enabled families to camp by the beach until it was taken over by Ingenia who are buying up all the prime camping sites on the coast. They erect expensive chalets where tents used to pitch, they kick out the beach mission teams who have been a great entertainment source for kids for decades, loved by campers . In effect the humanity is being replaced with profit.
Not that govts are the best option. How about we enable small businesses to flourish and remove the red, green, brown tape so they can? That’s my favourite option.
Big govt and big business are not the way to go.
Generally, not a good call.
So many people affected.
Usually this is considered a crime in our current understanding.
Guess the rates increase doesn’t cut it…………………………. short term.