Mackay Regional Council in Queensland is poised to slash the red tape around caravan parks and camping areas in a bid to lure more grey nomads and other travellers into the region.
In a report filed to the council, a survey of the current recreational vehicle spots found the level of regulation in the industry was hindering the expansion of current sites and development of new ones.
The Mackay Daily Mercury newspaper reports that, in its ordinary meeting this week, the council voted to ‘unshackle’ the region’s camping grounds and caravan parks.
In the coming weeks, the council will now review its local laws, infrastructure charges and the planning scheme around camping and caravans. It wants to make things easier for the 28 commercial caravan parks in the area and the further eight camping areas in local state national parks.
“We recognise it is a growing market and a market we don’t want to keep passing us by,” councillor Fran Mann said. “It is a whole different market that we haven’t probably attracted because we couldn’t offer accommodation in existing van parks when we were at the top of the boom because that was taken up with permanent accommodation.”
The Daily Mercury reports that the council will be looking at possibly introducing free sites … but it will not be operating any sites itself.
Earlier this year, the council’s development services director, Gerard Carlyon, said the authority had been working with caravan park operators to look at new options for attracting RVs. He said these new options could include new RV parks, new short-stay locations and delivering changes within current commercial facilities to take advantage of the opportunity that growing the RV market offers the region.
Last year, the council amended fees at its Mirani Caravan Park to provide more affordable options aimed at the RV market.
While the council insists it doesn’t in any way condone illegal camping, it is being pressured by caravan parks to do more to stop people staying overnight in car parks or lay-bys and in other places they shouldn’t.
The review of the current policies is expected to be brought to the council in the coming months.
* How have you found the camping options in the Mackay area? Comment below
Went through Mackay yesterday travelling in 33foot motor home fully self contained finding it hard to find somewhere to stay without having to stay near main hi ways or train lines am a bit over the restless sleeps. Don’t mind paying but paying a reasonable fee would be appreciated. Any way heading inland again as there are more options.
Because they could charge top $$ during the mining boom, workers would pay it and they were so full they didn’t care about passers-by, alot of us stopped going there. Hopefully this council will offer a range of options for vanners, because we all don’t want the same van park experience, just like nobody likes to be told they all must eat in restaurants, some want take away lol.
Forget the coast caravan parks they are more interested in southerners not qlders. Go inland the smaller towns offer so much more and cheaper.
We came through Mackay about 10 days ago, didn’t stay as nothing available for reasonable price. What a shame!
We would welcome opening up Showgrounds/recreation areas. We are big rig – truck/big Caravan and although we could fit into The Park at Paget when it is less busy we can’t during the season. We then by-pass Mackay. Open Showgrounds to extremely big rig only and make it dog friendly (although we do not have a dog) and you will attract us to Mackay.
We have stayed at showgrounds, rodeo grounds and race course and found them to be excellent value and dog friendly. More councils should embrace the idea as not all travellers want the high class parks with swimming pools, bouncy castles etc.
Isn’t it a shame councils, governments and parks wont do anything until they lose the $. So take your $ inland like others have said above as it is so much better room to move and cheaper. They mostly like dogs too.
Most definitely. Who really wants to go on holiday to look at the van next to u We aren’t alllll made of money either.
Not many pet friendly Caravan parks either. Open the Showgrounds at a reasonable cost.
During the mining boom Mackay was greedy and now with the boom over they realise there is money in grey nomads. They are still greedy with little to no free camping between Bowen and St Lawrence therefore you have 2 choices….. move on or cough up their high prices
The Moana Caravan Park offers $6 pppn for self contained vehicles. Very nice people and can fit big rigs in. Just near the turn off to Hay Point.