A grey nomad friendly South Australian town has decided to double the size of its cut-price RV parking area to cope with booming demand.
The Murray Bridge Showground can currently accommodate about 17 vehicles, but the Murray Valley Standard newspaper reports it regularly reaches capacity during holiday times, and when special events are on.
“I don’t think we’ll send any caravan park owners broke,” councillor Fred Toogood told a local council meeting during a debate on the issue. “These vehicles can’t be accommodated in many caravan parks … it’s good for the economy.”
Before approving the expansion, the council heard from the Murray Bridge Agricultural and Horticultural Society that an estimated 124 RVs had spent two to three nights and about $280 each during March.
Water is available at the site but there are no toilets or showers. Self-contained RVs may stay at the showground for up to a week. They are charged $10 per night for a powered site or $5 for an unpowered site.
It is a great idea. There should be more cheap or free campsites, in particular for pensioners, who find it extremely hard to make money go around. It is a way of having a holiday, and many places don”t take into consideration the money spent in the towns on necessities.