The new decade is only a few days old and already a fierce debate has broken out around the issue of free and budget camping.
The Sunshine Coast Daily reports that social media ‘lit up’ after Nambour resident, Ilana Whiting, posted to the Living in Nambour Facebook page asking why the Nambour Showgrounds cannot be used by grey nomads.
Councillor Greg Rogerson quickly responded saying that camping was permitted in the grounds when associated with events, but he had not yet been ‘able to get that followed through to what people would understand as a caravan-approved site’.
“I understand completely that it would be good for business and the economics for the town but it’s just being able to get a planning scheme implemented for that purpose,” he told the Sunshine Coast Daily. “It’s really hard and people don’t understand, it is laws and planning matters that need to be considered.”
The newspaper reports that, on November 15 last year, the Planning and Environment Court ruled in favour of the Caravan Parks Association Queensland and stated that under the Planning Act 2016, Rockhampton Regional Council’s use of a city park to accommodate passing caravans, campervans was unlawful, because it did not relate to the primary use of the park.
While the council does not own the land, Cr Rogerson said the outcome of the court case would make it harder for council to grant the grey nomads access.
“I thought it was difficult in the last 10 years but it’s going to be harder now having a court case where it has been deemed not appropriate,” he told the Daily. “That’s a precedent that’s set in the courts so they would just use that again.”
Grey nomad Rhonda Todd, who has travelled around Australia three times, told the newspaper that opening the showgrounds would provide a cheaper option for travellers who don’t need caravan park facilities.
“We bring a lot of money to the town … we come in and buy groceries, we buy alcohol, we get our hair cut, we buy clothes if we need to, or if our car needs fixing we will get it,” she said. “It costs thousands to travel now and it’s not fair that they are forcing us to go into a caravan park when we don’t even need to.”
Not many wants free but But if we can not stop in a truck stop to rest over night free then we don’t want to be over charged more than $10.00 for a bit of dirt and a toilet. Just what you may get free in a truck stop
There are basicly two types of free campers
Those that do and those that don’t
neither is correct all of the time but we all should have the freedom to choose
If towns want us to spend we need to stay
Everyone if different some want and need all the extras of parks
Some need just the space the rig occupies
Parks that charge to much and increase prices in peak time have to expect that many long term travellers will avoid them like the plague
Especially if there is an alternative within an easy drive
Towns and c.p have to get on board to cater for travellers with low cost sites or they will simply miss out.
Australia needs to look at and adjust council bylaws to cater for the tourist that is self contained.
We have been to many small towns that offer low cost stays and some are even just donation stays with many having dump points and water filling points, so there is a slow movement to supply these facilities. However caravan parks often ark up and cause problems for these councils. Yet I have found the odd caravan park operator that embraces the idea and even supplies a low cost area themselves
The CMCA with their low cost parks are a great idea for their members.
The argument by c.p owners that they charge the high rates to cover expenses doesn’t rub, during off peak if c.p owners have let’s say 200 hundred sites would it be profitable to have 150 -200 sites occupied at $20 or 10 sites at $45. Or charge pensioner rate for grey nomads then it’s a win win the c.p will fill and the pensioner/grey nomads goes shopping