The Victorian town of Bright is in the frontline of the ongoing battle over dump points.
Back in February, the Alpine Shire Council voting against a proposal to install a public dump point at the tourist hotspot, which is perched 319 metres above sea level at the end of the Ovens Valley.
The council argued that there was no need for a public dump point for visiting caravans and motorhomes as caravan park owners were prepared to offer access to their dump points for a $5 fee to cover their costs.
However, rather than being the end of the matter, the council decision appears to have been just the start.
Local resident and fifth wheeler owner, Yvonne Huggins, has led the resistance and has since gathered more than 1,000 pro-dump point signatures in a bid to force the council to re-consider.
According to the Alpine Observer newspaper, Mrs Huggins started her campaign after returning from a four-month trip around Australia only to find that the can parks in her home town couldn’t cater for her ‘big rig’, and so she had nowhere for her to dispose of her grey waste.
“I feel very strongly about a public dump point being installed in Bright,” she told the newspaper. “As an owner of a ‘big rig’ I know how difficult it can be to manoeuvre a large vehicle in a caravan park that was designed years ago for smaller vans.”
All towns should have free dumppoints otherwise people will not stay in that town and just drive on by to the next place that has a dumppoint
Yes I think all towns should have dump points or especially the rigs would have to keep going as they couldn’t fit in a caravan park. I suppose they could park somewhere handy & walk along the street carrying their toilet cassette. Their grey water as on all vehicles would be a fixed tank & the only option there would be to just undo the tap & let it go, hopefully where it’s not going to worry too many people
All well and good IF you have a cassette Elsie, but our 29ft 5th wheel has a 120 litre black tank, 150 litre shower and a 150 litre galley tanks, not so easy.. Not so easy to maneuver in small, old caravan parks either.
Councils should supply dump points. Nomads spend money in the towns where facilities are provided., otherwise they move on feeling unwelcome.
Why should caravan parks charge for usage of their dump point when it is not costing them anything as it is going into an existing sewerage system
It still costs the park, even if it is going to a sewer, Bill, although $1 would cover that, I estimate. It is the septic dumps that cost parks a fortune, with a minimum of three grand every time it has to be pumped out. Five bucks for that is reasonable, I think, when you consider a lot of privately owned parks are only just surviving.
Which parks are only surviving? Have a look at the going prices parks are selling for and claimed as being great investments with very good returns.
I agree . Why should they charge. If they’re on septic tank it’d be fair enough. We were once asked for £ 20 to empty our toilet in a caravan park
Most of Bright is connected to main sewerage – and you are charged a sewerage rate based on your overall water usage. As a dump point only receives waste there is little or no mains water usage in this process why should they charge. Sounds like a load of crap to me!!
Providing the travelling public with a free dump point is a better option than what would happen with a few irresponsible persons when they discover they would have to pay for what so many councils and CMCA have provided free throughout Australia. Such small minded councillors and council staff do a disservice to their community.
I agree with the above comments. I live in a Victorian tourist town and there is a huge number of caravans visiting and passing through the town. The Council has known for years that a public dump point is needed. They seem to think the dump point in the local caravan park is sufficient for all caravan travellers and it is not. It’s all about the money.
My opinion is Public Dump Point and accessible to Big Rigs. I agree if there is a Dump Point and water in town we stop an spend.
Simple really – Public Dump Point = travellers stopping = money spent! Living in a big rig with trailer it’s not possible nor practical to try and manoeuvre in many of the outdated caravan parks, so we don’t stop! Can’t be an easier equation than that.
This smacks of a WA experience we had in 2011, where a town at the end of the nullabour was charging for water and use of the dump point. SHAME ON YOU BRIGHT. Making sure you look after your local mates in the caravan parks. Bugger the other poor business in town who loose out as people drive past because of the lack of a public dump point.
I’m leading a club tag a long with caravans to the High Country. We definitely need dump points! We’ll be staying in Buckland Valley, but plan to shop, buy fuel and eat out. That’s 8 Land Cruisers + vans. By the way, Bright is the most caravan unfriendly town. The one caravan park we stayed at a few years ago totally sucked with bad design and minuscule sites.
Town especially like Bright of high tourists visitors & campers should provide dump points in town especially in such pristine natural environments.
Where we camp by rivers in natural environments it is not uncommon to find people have dumped their waste in the bush due to it having access..
We know of someone who uses the public toilets to do so rather than contaminate the bush or river.
Irresponsible of the council not to provide a basic facility.