The WA city of Bunbury, two hours south of Perth, is to keep its free RV rest stops … despite strong opposition from the holiday park industry.
The local council has just voted to make permanent a two-year trial to allow caravans to stay for free near Back Beach, close to the centre of town, for up to 48 hours.
The ABC reports that the decision was made despite pressure from one of Australia’s largest caravan park groups — Discovery Parks — which said a trend by local governments across Australia to offer free sites was unfair to private operators.
Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan said the two-year, free-rest-stop trial had allowed the community to capitalise on tourists travelling through to the more high-profile destinations of Margaret River and Busselton.
It has apparently generated $360,000 for the local community and attracted 2,500 travellers.
He told the ABC that there was no evidence to support the theory that free rest areas were luring paying customers away from private caravan parks.
“The feedback we’ve got is that without the free parking areas, they wouldn’t stay here,” he said. “If there’s no free parking they move on until they find one — and that’s a fact.”
He said the local community had been overwhelmingly positive about allowing a small group of caravans to stay for free, for a limited time.
But the ABC reports that the decision to offer free caravan rest areas in Bunbury has frustrated private operators, who offer unpowered sites for about $35 a night.
The CEO of Discovery Parks, Grant Wilckens, said industry research suggested guests at free sites spent less than those in commercial parks.
“The research we’ve done is the free rest stops in these regional towns across Australia … they’re not a guest that is spending a lot of money in the town,” he said.
Mr Wilckens told the ABC that private operators contributed to the local community and said Discovery Parks was investing $1 million in a $1.7 million water park in Bunbury.
“A $40 powered site is a very reasonable fare when you’re getting access to all the great facilities like jumping pillows and camp kitchens,” he said.
But not everyone needs jumping pillows and camp kitchens.
Agree we are grey nomads spending the kids inheritance!!!
Already spent the Kids inheritance money.
Were on the Funeral money now.
Well… I will go along with you there! Having spinal issues, its the last thing onmy mind.
Australia the LYCKY country…!!!
Was & still should be FREE!
We should ALL STICK together on this issue.
Water parks, jumping pillows, camp kitchens, kids everywhere … these things we don’t need!
A good meal, groceries, local attractions and, usually, an early night … these are the things we seek.
Congratulations to Bunbury Councillors for recognising they are dealing with two separate markets.
Note: Occasionally, for odd reasons, we will stay in a Caravan Park (CP) but we NEVER stay in a CP in a largish town that doesn’t offer a free camp … Mt Barker Councillors take note!
I completely agree with your comments, also the many others expressing the same sentiment, Bunbury attitude needs to be spread across the country, Grey Nomads only want quite, peaceful and friendly site without all the adds ons which is a waste of hard earned cash. Small friendly sites with good clean amenities are all we want, with a handy shop, fuel and cafe close by to support the local community.
I totally agree that we should have more free camping sites in Australia. At the moment they charge up to $90.00 in Qld for some camping sites just because they can and of course grey nomads are not always in a position to afford this. However if we can spend nights for free at camping grounds we still spend money at the local communities.
Discovery Parks should not be greedy and squeeze as money as they can out of travelers.
Yes, I stopped using Jumping Pillows, (aka Trampolines when I was a kid), about 60 years ago.
When will CP owners realise that people who go freedom camping will NOT use their parks. They will just go to the next place that offers free or donation camping. Wake up CP owners. We don’t want jumping pillows and we have our own BBQs and showers and toilets.
I agree for the little water we use is not much and power . Grey nomads spend a lot of money I like small towns . On the Gold Coast there more cost for weekends
Colin,
I agree with you. Have you ever heard of a Motel operator complaining about cabins in caravan parks? Motel operators just get on with the job of providing accommodation for those who wish to stay in motels. Caravan Park operators should also carry on providing accommodation for their customers and Free or cheap camping for those who want it should be available.
I am on a pension and would not be able to enjoy this great country of ours if I had to pay $40.00 or more to park my van and use a little bit of electricity. I am conscious of the overheads caravan parks have but a lot of these are self imposed by their “adding” more attractions and calling themselves “resorts”. Bring back the old type of caravan park who just provided the basics at reasonable cost to travellers.
As pensioners water parks and jumping pillows are not of much use, but $35 a night for unpowered and $40 for powered is a large drain on a fixed income when travelling. We can not afford these rates but enjoy our travels.
I bring my own fully equipped kitchen and bathroom, even my own washing machine, don’t want a jumping pillow – suddenly those forty bucks don’t look as good no more!
Good on the council to make this free camp permanently.
Freedom sites for self contained vehicles versus caravan parks with always be a controversial subject. As travellers we use both but do question why, as grey nomads, do we need to pay for jumping pillows, water playgrounds, etc. If the big, you beaut, caravan parks could also offer a cheaper alternative with basic facilities such as clean amenities and power at a reasonable price they would probably attract some of those who choose to use freedom sites. Not everyone can afford to pay the expensive prices some caravan parks ask. We ourselves have found that smaller caravan parks in less popular places are more to our taste and always seem to find small local communities so welcoming.
Possum i’m in full agreement with your sentiments. Have run a Big 4 caravan park in Airlie Beach and spent serious money updating its facilities we also chose to offer caravaners budget priced powered sites set quietly away from the main family sites and their festive amenities, pool, tennis court etc.
Those sites were well received and occupied from the opening day we made them available to the budget conscious vaners.
Now I’ve moved on (retired) and spend 12 mths a year living and travelling in my van and I’m amazed at how so many park operators still fail to see that the nomadic traveller (called grey nomad) does not need nor desire too participate in or pay for jumping castles etc that they never use.
I agree Lincoln, there’s a big market that the caravan parks are totally ignoring & have chosen to for a number of years. Caravans have been getting built as a totally self sufficient package for a long time now & the writing has been on the wall this entire time. The parks took away business from motels when they started building cabins & didn’t care what damage they did to these businesses, but are now crying wolf. If you’re a smart business you’ll reinvent yourself.
Good on bunno council. There is so much evidence proving low cost camps encourage visitors to spend a lot more in the area.
Private operators whinge it is unfair well stop putting in cabins and taking away from motelling industry
This discovery mob would get far more visitors if they just kept their mouth shut. The more people hear of them resisting free and low camps the more determined people are to steer well completely clear of their operations
And 35 a night for unpowered come on that is not value
25 you’ll have a lot more guests
20 you.ll be full to the brim everynight
I note that the “Discovery” representative suggested that people who “Free-camp” spend less than those staying in Caravan Parks – He didn’t suggest that free-campers didn’t increase the overall income to the districts.
He espoused that they justify high prices because they offer water parks and jumping pillows, which has been the contention of GN’s for years – We don’t want or need their Kiddie Playgrounds – Most of us aged GN’s would only fill their local hospitals if we attempted the rides and jumping pillows, then they would complain that there was not enough Medical Services in their Districts.
Ever since I stayed at Poplar caravan park in Camden NSW a couple of years ago where you pay for your power separate I’ve been aware of just how much can parks are ripping punters off with the increased powered site fees. Our power bill for the night was 38c. Yes you will have those running air con and washing machines etc but user pays is a great concept. Up in the Pilbara at the moment, so annoying the number of air con units that run 24/7. Van parks need to start having separate zones for those who want to run their intermittent buzz machines. Why pay to stay on the water if you can’t hear the waves, no wonder free camping is so popular.
Ever since I stayed at Poplar caravan park in Camden NSW a couple of years ago where you pay for your power separate I’ve been aware of just how much van parks are ripping punters off with the increased powered site fees. Our power bill for the night was 38c. Yes you will have those running air con and washing machines etc but user pays is a great concept. Up in the Pilbara at the moment, so annoying the number of air con units that run 24/7. Van parks need to start having separate zones for those who want to run their intermittent buzz machines. Why pay to stay on the water if you can’t hear the waves, no wonder free camping is so popular.
There are free /low cost camps all across OZ now. We are in our 5th year full time of travelling OZ and have seen some great low cost RV camp sites, mostly in Queensland / NT and SA The south west is getting a bad reputation from travelers for being too expensive, so good on Bunbury for showing some leadership. The premier want us all to travel but local operators just want to rip off the GN,s
We have been travelling for quite a few years now. Since the Pandemic started, we have noticed prices for Caravan parks have increased dramatically. We have no choice but to pay. Some of the amenities are crap. So where is the increased fees going. We even had to pay $6 for washing machines and dryers. And only half of them worked. Makes it very hard for pensioners who cannot afford o/s travel. Even though that is not happening now.
I don’t remember the last time I paid 35 dollars for an overnight stay at a CP. I got 3 children and for CP is money to be made and usually the 35-40 dollar base rate goes to 60- 90 dollars for an overnight stay. Yeah CP’s can stick it…
Totally agree with all the other comments, as a retiree I have no call for CPs with Jumping castles or water parks. All I need is a reasonably priced powered site and a clean toilet.
Well said.
I agree with the mayor – if I am only staying one night travelling through an area I will always free camp, if the town doesn’t allow it I will move on to somewhere else. But, if I am staying for several days I will always use a caravan park where I can unhitch in safety, have a look around and enjoy their facilities.
Totally agree with you Jim. I did however recently stay in Narooma and the site was $100 / night for 4 nights. Happy to pay for a powered site even though I am self contained, but agree with others, perhaps an area or a senior discount for over a certain age…but then again the abusers will always ruin things for others, hence why free camps are being closed across the country
Have to agree with having free camping as campgrounds here in Australia are way overpriced. A powered site at a campground I used to work for in New Zealand which had a children’s playground etc was NZ$16.
Great to hear fir the Bunbury RV stopovers.
The only thing missing is a Public Dump Point should be setup somewhere in Bunbury.
Great to hear for the Bunbury RV stopovers.
The only thing missing is a Public Dump Point should be setup somewhere in Bunbury.
Good on you Bunbury Shire, would like to see Augusta Margaret Shire should take notice you can’t even fill up with fresh water there, and the caravan parks are very exspensive . The bush camping sites are very cheep and good cooking facilities
It is interesting that the CEO should complain. Discovery focuses on permanent residents not transit travellers. You only have to look at their park in the Swan Valley – it is nothing more than a broken concrete demolition site. Their Woodman Point park is a fire waiting to happen and their transit area is a sand pit.
We avoid Discovery Parks.
Discovery parks full of cabins and permanents caravan places are getting smaller to cater for the cabins
“A $40 powered site is a very reasonable fare when you’re getting access to all the great facilities like jumping pillows and camp kitchens,” he said.”
Wow!! That will certainly entice me in won’t it. Maybe 70 years ago a jumping pillow might have been amazing and only one out of 20 camp kitchens I’ve poked my head into are worthy of the name.
$35 a night I have been in CP $45-$50 squeezed in between other vans so close that you can’t open your awning fully or parked between cabins where u get no sunlight and have to put up with drunken and loud fools all night. Some C/P up their price dramatically during school holidays to such a point the Grey Nomad leaves to find a cheaper place to stay. C/P want me to stay update your facilities cater for caravans by giving them space so they can enjoy and stop price gouging
Discovery Parks and there like have a totally outdated 1950s business model and a belief they can impose it on grey nomads. They actively involve themselves in local politics to achieve their goal of reducing our choices. Their naked self interest, masked as concern for the local community is repugnant. Thankfully many communities (read councils) are less naive than they used to be.
Thanks GNT for giving this important issue some oxygen.
If the caravan park’s demographic based research has determined that jumping pillows and water parks are a good investment for attracting visitors then why should they be concerned about free camps taking the patronage away. Don’t remember staying at any free camps with such facilities. If they build it, they will come…if that’s want they really want.
But don’t force anyone in to a single option.
Interesting that no actual figures where presented from their “research”
This could have been a reporting omission though.
I’ve seen better camp kitchens deep in the forest, in the south west of WA, AND I DON’T WANT (or need) all the crap that most van parks and resorts say you are paying for… the fact is that public risk insurance is a major portion of most van park fixed costs- and bouncy castles = high insurance cost…. If van parks stuck to the core business of providing good, clean, basic facilities at a fair price, they would attract a LOT more business, and get good word of mouth (and via online) references… RAC Parks in WA are a total rip off, and will NEVER have to worry about my custom @ $90+ per night – Pfft.. not for this ‘camper.’
We have used this free site at Bunbury a couple of times on our way through to other towns. Without it we would have not stopped in the town and kept travelling through to Busselton. The only downfall is the while we’re in Bunbury we spent a fortune on clothes shoes books food fuel and alcohol. A sneaky way to get travellers into the town but it works.
Australia is a Democracy. Freedom of Choice is contained within the Australian Bill of Rights Bill 2017 “Every person lawfully in Australia has the right to freedom of movement and choice of residence”. I rest my case; and no we don’t want any of the things caravan parks/resorts offer so why should we be forced to pay for a type of ‘residence’ we don’t want or need?
Two years ago I paid $25 for two nights for a powered site with en-suite shower and toilet in Southern NSW. No jumping castles and I can’t recall if there was a camp kitchen or a laundry. That was value, and I was happy with the price. The show grounds were $15 a night for a powered site and good value. A lot of country towns have under used showgrounds and service clubs and other organisations looking to raise funds. Why not organise these groups to, on a roster, manage the show grounds caravan parking. 20 caravans @ $15 a night is a handy little earner for any group, they would of course have to clean the toilets and showers and other amenity maintenance.
My husband and I, on our last trip around OZ from Qld, stayed at a very friendly free camp in Julia Creek in Qld. It is situated beside a billabong and not far from the town centre. They have camp hosts who show you where you can park and offer the loan of free bicycles to ride into town to buy groceries. We stayed three nights, had our car serviced, had dinner in each of the pubs and topped up with groceries in the local grocery store. Everyone was very friendly and helpful and we certainly put plenty of money into the town. Thanks Julia Creek. Every small town would benefit if they offered a place to rest for GN’s and put out the welcome mat.
YES, we loved Julia Creek with its great facilities and attractions to visit. A great model of other towns to follow if they want to encourage tourists to stay awhile and appreciate the town rather than just pass through. And we also made a point of spending money on fuel, coffee and cake, hardware items for the van, etc. Thanks Julia Creek
We are currently touring WA in fully self contained motorhome and do not require much in the way of facilities – really just a dump site and access to water somewhere in the town. We do use caravan parks occasionally in particularly nice spots where we want to spend several days.
Having seen story re Discovery complaining, we will make a point of not patronising their parks.
The people who use the free, or low cost/donation, camp sites are in general a different market to the van park users so towns should see them as additional income.
As for $40 being good value because they provide jumping pillows and camp kitchens, well that is just laughable. Families that need those facilities will gravitate to them and good luck. Those of us that don’t want them don’t want to pay for them.
I HAVE A VAN I DO NOT TRAVEL IN WEST AUSTRALIA ITS FAR TO EXPENSIVE, IN CARAVAN PARKS NATIONAL PARKS SOME TOWN JUST RIP PEOPLE OFF.
The small town of Charlton in western Victoria has a caravan park with three tiers of accommodation – en suite sites, powered and/or camping sites, as well as an RV park. What a great idea! Admittedly not all caravan parks are in a position to be able to do this but maybe a lot more could take up this type of concept and thus cater for those who want everything, those who want basic clean facilities, as well as those who wish to camp independently in their self contained units.
Great stuff. Hope the miserable Mt Barker and Dongara Shires in WA read your post. Perhaps they will get the message.
After reading some of the comments I decided to search caravan parks for sale in Western Australia. The cheapest was $880,000. How do you get your money back if you don’t charge a reasonable rate. The way some of you talk, you must live on fresh air and scenery.
Yes I do but always have a scotch with it.
Best deals i have found is station stays.
10 dollars/night. Donkey for hot water,open fire,meet good crowd of people .What else do you want.cheers roker,
Definately .. but having a good can be worrisome with the cruel 1080 baiting. You can be walking your dog on a leash and it is no guarantee that your doggy is safe. Have heard many sad stories of travellers losing their dogs like this. IT SHOULD BE BANNED. A VERY WAY TO KILL. GET BOUNTY HUNTERS AND PAY THEM WELL.
Hi Jeannie.Best to check station web site will tell you if 1080 is around.
There is a market for GN;s to go these places in think.
cheers roker
Yay.. what comes around goes around. Many many C. Parks added cabins to their park making it harder for the battling Motels to make a living..
What comes around goes around. KARMA.
Looking into my Crystal Ball…. I seeee
$35 night becomes $70 plus night in veeery short time.
poor greedy big name business wants to control the industry.
Congratulations to council with integrity seeing it for what it is.
A town looking after the residents and it’s visitors, not an outside octopus.
Well done Bunbury. Please keep these free camps going and you caravan park owners take note of what the travellers are saying. I believe $40 per night relates to low season and last quote I got from a CP in Busselton during peak season, powered site, 2A was $115 per night. Do the right thing CP owners and the travellers will also.
As a grey nomad I love to spend money in the towns that provide free parking. The caravan parks are getting over the top with jumping castles and lots of cabins which make the parks far too expensive. Why should the greedy park owners be the only people in Australia that are making money from the grey nomads and other travelers. So the more free parks that the councils allow the more money we have to spend in other businesses and spread the economy around.
I doubt over 60,s in their own van want a jumping pillow or camp kitchen, most don’t need laundry or bathroom facilities either but most would do groceries,fuel, chemist and general shopping not to mention car/van repairs, tyres, solar the odd vet ect