A popular Victorian caravan park is set to close down in November.
The 64-site Welshmans Reef Park at the Cairn Curran Reservoir west of Castlemaine is said to be no longer longer financially sustainable. Northern Victoria’s rural water authority, Goulburn Murray Water (GMW), says at least $2.6 million would need to be spent to bring the park up to current standards.
GMW’s Gavin Hanlon told the ABC that irrigation customers would have to subsidise the works and the authority believes they should not be asked to foot the bill.
“We reviewed this, we’ve been looking at it for a while,” he said. “We understand the economic value that it might bring to the Shire of Mount Alexander but unfortunately … our funds to fund this sort of thing would come from our irrigator base. Given the investment required, we’ve decided we’ll close this caravan park.”
Mount Alexander Shire Council mayor Michael Redden said MW had failed to complete required wastewater and bushfire mitigation works.
“We gave them a series of requirements to fix up fire protection and wastewater management three years ago which they agreed to do, but they have done nothing,” he said. “I can’t see any hope that we can keep the park open.”
However, a Facebook campaign to keep the park from closing has been launched, with more than 1500 people already showing their support
A public meeting to discuss the closure was also strongly attended and nearly 100 people offered to share their expertise to help save the park. The offers apparently covered 46 different categories ranging from labouring and trades to supply of equipment and legal advice.
* Have you stayed at Welshmans Reef Park: Would you be sad to see it close? Comment below.
Why not convert the toilets to a dump point and make it a free camp, I believe the same was done at Cowarr Weir and very successful and vandalism almost eliminated
That’s a great idea!
I haven’t stayed in this park but would like to in the future I fish this lake a lot and if I was to stay over night then I’d like to stay here.