The enormous pressure the mining boom is putting on accommodation in regional towns means that, in peak season, many grey nomads are being told: “Sorry, there is no room at the inn.”
With mega projects drawing thousands of mineworkers to the bush, there simply aren’t enough places to sleep. Infrastructure development has failed to keep up with the staggering growth of the resources sector. Caravan parks in north-western WA and central Queensland in particular are feeling the brunt of the boom.
“Cabins are booked solid and the caravan sites are in demand, too,” Caravanning Queensland CEO, Ron Chapman told the GNT. “Mineworkers and often their families too need a place to stay and sometimes a caravan is their best option.”
However, all is not lost. “There are still sites around the place for grey nomads but they may have to stay on the fringes and ‘commute’ to where they want to go,” Mr Chapman said. “While the national van park occupancy rate is still less than 50%, in some Queensland towns there is 99% occupancy.”
The Emerald Visitor Information Centre says sites can still be found but travellers need to book well ahead.
“I know people like to keep their plans flexible but it’s easier to cancel a booking than find a site when places are full,” said the centre’s supervisor, Natalie Lane. “It has been packed like this for while and the coming year will be as bad.”
The fact that mineworkers work long hours means the character of most parks has not really changed. Ms Lane says despite the steep demand, average site fees in Central Highlands van parks are around $30.
The accommodation squeeze is at least as bad in WA. In the state’s mid-west more than 100 major projects are planned. The Geraldton Visitors Centre says one van park has no vacancies for the next six months.
The centre’s co-ordinator Ron Hayward says he has had to send visitors to Kalbarri, Mullewa and Dongara. Nonetheless, one park contacted by the GNT says it does currently have sites available for grey nomads.
New caravan parks would obviously ease the problem but Ron Chapman says government red tape means it could be a long wait.
“We have people who want to develop caravan parks but bureaucracy means it would take at least years,” he said. “There’s no denying it’s a difficult situation and there is no telling when it will end.”
