The Coward Springs Campground – and its iconic natural spa – has been a welcome sight for many a weary grey nomad as they traverse the dusty Oodnadatta Track.
But now there’s trouble brewing over the very resource that has transformed the Outback South Australian spot into the ultimate oasis in the desert … water.
The former old Ghan railway station was abandoned even before the line was closed in 1980. So, when Greg Emmett and Prue Coulls took over there several decades ago, there was no drinking water, no phone and not even a house. The couple has since built campground facilities, planted hundreds of native trees, restored the heritage buildings, installed two in-ground rainwater tanks and – importantly – brought joy to countless thousands of travellers.
However, their latest project to develop an experimental date palm plantation using bore water has given them some financial grief.
They are outraged that their water levy has tripled in the past year … while they claim some of their neighbours pay nothing.
“I reckon our last bill was around $1300 and our next bill will be just over $4000, so it’s about a 320% increase,” Mr Emmett told Channel 7 News. “To be slugged this amount when we’re not actually making any money out of it is a pretty hard call.”
Apparently, the levy is so high because the date palm development is classified as a commercial venture.
The couple is furious some other Outback businesses, including BHP’s Olympic Dam operation don’t pay a levy – the miner has long had an exemption.
The couple said it is prepared to install a water meter on their bore.
“Well we think it’s quite simple that we pay for the water that we use,” Ms Coulls told Channel 7. “Currently we are not using anywhere near our allocation.”
Have you stayed at Coward Springs? Have you seen the way the site has been transformed? Should the couple be encouraged to continue? Comment below.
Very short sighted of the water board as Coward Springs has value added to the tourist potential in the area. It’s a must see and do on the track and wonderful. we’ve stayed there twice and would so again when we’re in the area. To pay the water bill I don’t see any other options than for them to put prices up which would make it harder to stay for more than 1 night.
typical of bureaucracy gone mad, too much power the councils etc have, pay for what you use by all means. we have a vacant block of land on Macleay Island and the local council charge us $60 a quarter for water and we do not even have a tap on the block, this is because the pipe passes the block.