Gladstone van parks hope to see more tourists this season
As the mining boom slows in many areas, there are increasing signs that communities are once again focusing their attention on the economic benefit that grey nomads bring.
While the good times were rolling, many caravan parks in mining areas were booked out by workers and there was often no place for anyone else.
Queensland Tourism Minister, Jann Stuckey, understated the problem back in 2012 when she said: “Grey nomads, who are used to travelling certain routes, have experienced difficulty in finding a berth at their favourite caravan park.”
With well-paid mineworkers booking out any available caravan sites, it appeared that catering to the grey nomad market slipped down many business’s priority list.
It’s a different story now in towns such as Gladstone where ‘No Vacancy’ signs have well and truly come down.
The most recent National Accommodation Barometer issued by the Tourism and Transport Forum revealed just how much the tide has turned.
“The Mining & Resources Hotspots Index continued to record sharp declines in occupancy, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of declines as the mining investment boom cools,” it said.
The report added that double-digit falls in occupancy were evident in mining areas as widespread as the Pilbara, Kalgoorlie and Mackay, with Gladstone hit especially hard.
Indeed, Gladstone van parks that were once all but impossible to get into are now reporting plenty of spare capacity as LNG projects draw down.
With businesses suffering, some are looking again at the benefits that tourism brings. Local member, Ken O’Dowd, recently expressed concern about the lack of facilities for grey nomads in Gladstone.
However, van park owners seem more concerned that their businesses are now being hurt by people staying at nearby rest stops. They want the council to strictly police a 48-hour limit at rest areas. There’s been a similar reaction to free camping in the inland New South Wales town of Cobar, where the resources downturn has also hit hard.
“It’s a case of many councils having to foot the cost for people who in reality stay overnight on the fringes of town, have free access to council services, but who rarely spend any money in the town itself,” said council tourism officer John Martin. He said several unseasonably good years for accommodation providers, coupled by the growing popularity of free camping had created a ‘black hole’ for tourism operators.
Visitor Information Centre numbers are down 16 %.
“People avoid coming here because previously accommodation has been so hard to come by,” he said.
