Hooray for the small New South Wales community of Gooloogong! At a time when many regions appear to be clamping down on free camping, the council here is vacuuming the proverbial welcome mat for budget-minded visitors. It has just decided to upgrade the facilities at the free community camping ground …and local residents couldn’t be happier. They are hoping even more travellers will want to discover the magic of their village, which is situated near the Lachlan River between Forbes and Cowra. The Cowra Guardian reports that, after discussions with the community, the council is to allocate $10,500 from the Section 94 Communities Facilities fund to provide power at no charge to visitors, The primitive camping ground project is currently before Council as a Development Application, with a budget of $25,000. The budgeted work includes: development application costs, replacement of the septic system, delineation of the camping area, landscaping, and modifications to the existing park amenities. According to the Cowra Guardian, the initial idea had been to disconnect the original power supply to the area after safety concerns. However, community feedback outlined the cost of implementing a free but much safer power supply was more than met. Arguments in favour of the upgrade included the number of visitors to the camping area, the time spent in the village and the money they then spent in the local shops and hotel.
Apparently, the council did consider including a coin service facility, but was warned that the cost to repair and maintain them often exceed any revenue received. Hopefully, the camping area will continue to be well used and respected by grey nomads and other travellers … and the friendly, welcoming community gets the financial boost it deserves.
