The way in which private properties on Queensland’s Fraser Coast are allowing campers to spend a few nights there is raising the ire of local caravan parks and some residents.
The ABC reports that many at Burrum Heads, a seaside town of about 2,500, are becoming increasingly frustrated by the situation, amid claims that some privately- run campsites on rural properties are not following council regulations.
The Fraser Coast Regional Council Nature Based Tourism Code states that private operators on rural-zoned land can host up to nine campsites on a property without the need to provide amenities.
However, Diana Howes, the owner of Trinity Islands Holiday Park Burrum River, told the ABC that some operators had more than four times this amount, and did not provide toilets or showers.
People camp on private land in many parts of the country. PIC: CIzz
“A lot of these operators are self-regulated and through no fault of their own they’re not even aware of what laws are in place,” Ms Howes said. “I’m not opposed to agritourism at all, I think it’s a complementary part of the industry and an important one.”
However, she said the laws created an unfair playing field.
“When it crosses over from a limited number of sites to a caravan park and you’ve got an operator with 40 caravans on site, they’re just not complying with the same level of regulation that is imposed on caravan park operators,” she told the ABC. “You’ve got one operator paying $5,000 a year, whereas I’m paying $75,000 a year … what we have now is cowboys in the industry that are taking advantage of relaxed planning laws to create quasi caravan parks that go under the radar.”
Ms Howes organised a meeting in the town recently with residents and council representatives to address the issue.
The ABC reports that, under the council’s code, rural land owners can provide tourist accommodation to self-contained, recreational vehicles and campers. The code itself though is self-assessable, meaning that if the property owner deems that they meet the conditions, there is no requirement to notify the council, seek approval or obtain a permit or a licence to operate.
The council is currently reviewing its planning scheme and local laws.
Director of development and community Gerard Carlyon attended Ms Howes’ meeting and told the ABC the current laws worked well in some cases.
“But we recognise that there can also be challenges, especially in places like Burrum Heads where you’ve got more urban communities very close to rural landholdings,” he said. “We need to update our rules and regulations to take account of the actual changing [tourism] marketplace that we’re confronted with.”
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Have the caravan parks forgotten that a cabin or two or twenty is taking business away from struggling motels? How blest they are to get their own way and still charge the earth for a piece of earth to camp on.
How True ,Motels are not complaining about caravan parks erecting more cabins ,i have a choice stay at a caravan park or free camp ,my choice ….my choice…
We bought a motel in Busselton WA in Jan 2000 and sold in March 2005.
In all those 5 years we had to battle with Caravan Parks competing with us and you’re right, they don’t care. I’m not crying poor but we would have had a better turnover if the parks weren’t competing.
It,s called fair competition. Fair competition refers to a free market in which all players operate on a level playing field.
So what about Air BnBs they are the ones who are killing the accommodation sector, Caravan PRks pay all the fees and regulations to council…
How many motels provide an oven and cooking utensils . Most will charge you a cleaning fee if they thought you had been cooking in the room. Workers prefer cabins they can cook in . It’s a different target mate. You’re also missing the point. Parks and motels are regulated and pay a fortune for the privilege .
Caravan Parks need to provide a stepped cost structure.
1. No use of facilities
2. Power and no facilities
3. All facilities
And security should be a given.
In most areas it is much much safer to stay on a semi rural or rural property.
Or a truck layby at the side of the road.
Not just them, but B&Bs Hotels, not forgetting the fact that you lose two caravan sites per cabin.
More cabins means less caravans which are losing free camps every where. I personally detest caravan parks.
Well said
Some of the caravan parks on the Fraser Coast are well maintained and cared for with many repeat customers coming year after year. However, there are others where I wouldn’t leave my dog. I am a grey nomad and spend six months a year on the road and after seeing what other places have to offer there are some locally who really need to lift their game. Farm stays and other overnight facilities are needed on the Fraser Coast to cover the shortfall during peak periods. I’m not saying that they shouldn’t be compliant to the regulations but given the shortfall of decent caravan parks in the area they are needed to bridge the gap.
Most of the vans these days are self sufficient and it is just like doing free camping anywhere in Australia. We are helping the farmers out without paying exorbitant caravan park fees for things like showers, toilets, staff etc when we are self contained and want our freedom . Also by staying on the farms we have space, we are not fitted into tight small caravan sites where you can’t even open your windows without hearing everything the van next door is doing. Fraser coast need to get up to date and stop punishing the farmers and van owners for wanting do what we want instead of paying greedy caravan park owners for things we don’t need or want in the way the economy the way it is at the moment.
Caravan Parks are outpricing themselves, particularly now fuel costs are through the roof, and especially coastal CP. They don’t think of Motels doing it tough each time they erect another cabin!
When they erect another cabin, they are taking away at least 2 caravan sites….they can’t have their cake and eat it too!!! Doesn’t matter where you go, particularly on the coast, cabins are being erected.
Self contained, they don’t need toilets and showers provided.
Caravan park operators should attract customers by providing services and facilities that are not obtainable or provided at these “quasi caravan parks”. It should not be up to councils etc to prop up businesses that cannot compete. Having said that, councils should also look at the fees they charge to see if these are commensurate with the service provided by council to these operators. Is $75,000 per year really appropriate? It may be the reason travellers are going elsewhere.
Seriously, – ALL municipal councils, shires and the other governing bodies, are only interested in the dictatorship and need to take travellers money. They do not make camping caravanning any better. If land owners wish to accomodate people, let them. Caravan parks have become unreasonably expensive for what you get, so is it any wonder that campers look elsewhere.
Greed & dictatorship. The meaning of a “caravan park “is exactly that. A place for caravans.
Its not a cabin park.
If you want to play the double edge sword then do so @ your own peril.
Hats off to land owners for giving space to caravaners as space dries up in caravan parks.
I lived on the road for 14 years and know first hand how it works.
Interesting comment – “space dries up in caravan parks”. Doesn’t that insinuate that caravan parks are full, so therefore popular. Prices can’t be too bad if that is the situation.
No! It means there are more cabins and less van sites. One cabin takes up 2 or more van sites
Caravan parks are greedy….they put up their prices when they are actually supplying us less. Most of us are self contained and can do without going to amenities, we have our own laundries and some of our power is supplied thanks to solar on our rooves. What extra are they supposedly supplying to us to compensate for the price hike?
PSSST !, when you are connected to the mains supply in a van park, your solar is not adding to your power as the system is designed to give priority to the grid supply. If you want to use just your own van produced solar simply disconnect the mains but don’t forget your aircon, water heater, fridge and all other appliances reliant on mains just won’t work.
I would like to join this group and will respected all comments.
Most coastal caravan parks are owned by the councils when some are charging $50 per nite it is just day light robbery. The traveller is in for one or two nites than gone we don’t use the big pillows or the play grounds or the swimming pool so fair crack of the whip guys.
Get with the program – Councils don’t care about you “free campers” as they have adequate travellers as you call them to fill the Council owned caravan parks.
The comment of council fees $5000 vs $75000.
May be the councils are at fault gouging the van park operators.
Greed looking over the fence. they should be targeting the councils for their charges to be reduced.
I was at a caravan that just installed 6 extra cabins and his electricity bill went up so he put out a leaflet to all campers saying he regrets it but electricity has gone up.
Stop charging like a wounded bull for powered sites and they might do better. Free camp or pay through the nose for van site? Hmmm let me think, oh I know what I’ll do!
One park we stayed at charged $38 a night for a powered site. A few months later this same park wanted $105 per night, for the same plot of land, greedy or what. guess were we did not book into
Klaus, ( Santa Klaus!!!. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! ) well you may have hit the so called PEAK SEASON { SCHOOL HOLIDAY SEASON ) whilst it seems like the Travwling Caravaners are being ripped off, what do you think of about the So Called Peak Season Rip Off during the School Holiday Seaons. Simo.
Simo, Its ho, ho not ha ,ha. I have found several smaller privately owned parks are much more reasonable no matter what the season. The big corporate parks are quite happy to rip people off, but when the proverbial hits the fan, they start crying and wanting customers to come back. No thanks, small parks or free camping is my motto now.
Spot on it greed.
The poor caravan parks ,they have created their own problem by putting up their charges so that grey nomads and families have to look for more affordable locations. Many caravans are now complete with bathrooms and dont use van park amenities, yet they charge like wounded bulls, plus many vans are also solar panel complete not really needing to plug in to 240v. Caravan Park owners rethink what you charge and give tourists the choice.
And yet no caravan park thinks it’s wrong to continually add cabin accomodation thereby disadvantaging the local motel. The caravan park association has far too much power and constantly complains about everyone else while doing exactly the the same thing.
Well DON’T GO!. Y’can always park a registered vehicle at the side of the road or other public place. I had this issue out with local police when I was living locally for 38 weeks in a van after my house burned down. Y’just need to be sure your vehicle is roadworthy.
Boo Hoo, more caravan parks crying poor when they keep adding cabins taking business away from motels and hotels. Being a full-time traveller for seven years we have experienced the greed of most caravan parks and now most showgrounds in increasing fees by huge amounts. No sympathy from me.
Just goes to show caravan parks are missing the concept, they offer services etc. not available a farm stays..They have been price gouging for years (school holidays/Xmas/Easter ) now when they find the pennies are biting they winge. Caravan parks for years have not been supplying accommodation types that the normal traveler requires, perhaps they should change the years out of date business model.
If I’m a private landowner with a few acres and don’t mind people staying on my land for a few days, or any time I allow, as long as there’s no health threat or anything of that nature, why does government, WA or any other, think they can decide for me?
one of the main, and growing number of problems in this country today is how governments, at all three levels seem to think they should be able to control every aspect of our lives?
Government, get out of my life, and my wallet, I will decide who I invite onto my land, not you.
This is an old discussion that is just as relevant in 2024. Rules and Regulations are annoying But necessary. A caravan park should have a ratio of van sites/ tent sites/ cabins. — same as ratio of toilets and showers per sites. A motel or a block of units should be allowed a parking area for caravans — If they want. — No free camping within town limits.. but day parking provided off main street, for shopping etc. — stays on Private land can abide by rules also, Self contained vehicles OR provide toilet and shower., rubbish bins. Travellers need to abide by the rules or get fined. It is a sometimes a different issue for transit workers needed on a farm –those rules I am unsure of. It is hard for Councils to get it right all the time and a bit of understanding is necessary. Greed on all sides is becoming too frequent.