A massive new caravan park is poised to be built in Broome in order to address a massive shortfall in accommodation options.
The town in WA’s north-west has long been a favourite with grey nomads and other travellers, and the Shire has identified a shortfall of between 400-500 caravan sites in peak months.
But the West Australian newspaper reports that a $64 million, 13.5 hectare development in the world-famous Cable Beach area now looks set to move forward.
The newspaper says that the business case for the project — which would see lot 3130, bound by Sanctuary Road, Fairway Drive and Lillfitz Drive, developed into a 286-dwelling multi-use caravan park, featuring sites for camping, caravans and self-contained cabins — was unanimously endorsed at the July council meeting.
Work could begin very soon on a new multi-use caravan park. PIC: Mabel Amber / Pexels
To fund the project, the Shire will lobby the WA State Government and the Federal Government for funds.
The multi-use park will also address a chronic housing shortage problem in the area.
Shire of Broome president Harold Tracey told the West Australian that housing shortages were a major issue for Broome … and that the Shire wanted to play a role in providing a solution.
“In our recent Community Scorecard process, the Broome community told us the lack of housing was an issue the Shire should try to remedy,” he said. “While it is not the role of a local government to construct homes and we have a limited role we can play … I think the proposed Sanctuary Road Caravan Park, Key Worker and Over 55s Village project would have a massive impact on Broome.”
The project is forecast to create 140 full time jobs during the three-year construction phase, and 191 local jobs by the tenth year of operation.
According to the business case the project would be completed in stages, with key worker housing fast-tracked as stage one to address shortages as soon as possible.
About time. We are having to move every couple of days finding holes in various van parks and I’m working here to up the cruising kitty. It’s exhausting.
Wayne Warnock. There has been speculation about developing this lot as a caravan park for a number of years so nothing new really. $64 million to develop the site into a 286 dwelling/multi use caravan park seems every excessive at $223 thousand per site.
We book a year in advance in Broome (also Coral Bay, Exmouth, and you can’t get into Cape Range NP), takes away the spontaneity of WA travel at bit, and it’s never easy to adjust the dates, due to a lack of availability.
It was recently exacerbated with Broome flight cancellations, with passengers turned away from the airport – with no emergency accommodation available!
I agree with Wayne below, sounds excessively expensive for the proposed new park. Visitors would accept, and probably be pleased, with lesser standard and lower cost cabins (perhaps portable units like the Jayco ones) as park options.
Broome, in recent years has always been difficult to get a site and at the height of the season downright impossible, unless you have booked ahead months in advance.
This announcement, if it does actually happen, might just ease the pressure a bit so good news.
Always in favour of new caravan parks.
I can just imagine the price of an overnight stay there, only for the super rich
Can someone advise how it can take 3 years to build a caravan park?. They obviously do not see the need as urgent.
They also need to spend money on long vehicle parking as there basically is none available AND on reducing crime within caravan parks. In the small park we were in we chased away locals at 5am who were trying to break into a vehicle within the park.
Broome van accommodation has been inadequate since at least the 1990s. Not before time.