The news that the future of a popular South Australian campground could be under threat has prompted a huge public backlash.
The District Council of Yankalilla recently voted to look into the pros and cons of closing the Rapid Bay campground – about 90 kilometres south of Adelaide – after it received a letter from a law firm representing a resident who wants the site shut down.
The council’s chief executive, Nigel Morris, said that while the letter was on behalf of a single resident, other people had previously suggested the site’s closure, citing issues such as noise and rubbish.
However, the Victor Harbor Times reports that the people from near and far have rallied in support of the campground.
An online petition set up by Fleurieu resident Lauren Barrington – who is also the Cape Jervis Progress Association chair – has received thousands up on thousands of signatures urging the council to keep the campground open.
Ms Barrington told the Victor Harbor Times that closing the campground would be ‘absolutely absurd’.
“Local businesses rely on tourism to survive, closing the campground would have a detrimental effect,” she said. “It’s outrageous that one person potentially has council over a barrel.”
She said she also worried that illegal camping would jump if the area was run as open space and not a campground.
The campground was closed for about six months last year during Covid-19 restrictions, and some complaints were received about illegal camping, unruly behaviour, rubbish and human waste issues during that time.
The legal letter received by the council requested that it not renew or extend the management agreement for the campground, which is due to expire in September. The letter also urged the council not to cause, suffer or permit the land to be used as a public camping and caravan ground, now and into the future.
The Victor Harbor Times reports that the council will likely spend at least $3000 in an initial response to the letter, but other costs are unknown.
The Rapid Bay campground is very popular with campers, for very clear reasons. The council’s Nigel Morris, said it was a spectacular spot.
“You wake up on the beach, it’s cost-effective, you have the ability to fish off the jetty, you can do water sports and explore the caves, there’s stunning scenery,” he said.
The council is still set to call for expressions of interest for the campground management but, when expressions of interest are presented, it will also consider a ‘pros and cons list’ of closing the campground.
The council should use the legal letter to clean up the human waste as that is what it deserves
I think the Council would be cleaning up any waste regardless of whether or not they’d received a letter
Oh wow! I’m down on the peninsula at the mo from NSW exploring Kangaroo Island and wondered where I could camp when I get back to the mainland. Now I know ! It looks great on the web sight. Thank you GNT
We have seen Rapid Bay Campground, please do not close this campground. One resident intimidating Council with a Lawyer? Does this resident get Water Views??? We want to visit again but if you close this campground we will bypass you, Brisbane QLD.
Water views of recalcitrant ‘residents’ can and have been altered by the judicious placement of redundant shipping containers which can also double as waste receptacles !!!
One person in a new owner (maybe), complains and the council has to act by law. local business would not have complained.
There is very little in the way of “local businesses” at Rapid Bay. From memory there isn’t even a general store with the nearest being more than 10kms away. There’s no café or bait shop so not sure what “local businesses” people are referring to when they mention this campground.
So it only takes one resident to make council run and cower under their beds, Don’t worry about all the other ratepayers and businesses. Typical Dumb Councils
I had it happen to me at the Gullie hotel Collingullie one complaint apparently and Wagga council carried on like softies but were still there as a rest area still looking after our Nomadd
fantastic . keep up the good work .
I have visited many council run cost effective campgrounds around our state and all have been well managed and looked after by campers. Campers also spend money in the local towns as a thank you for providing a place to explore their surroundings.
It would have been more courteous and less intimidating for said complainant to talk to the park owners and nut out a solution. The fee he paid the lawyer could have paid for supposed rubbish and excrement to be cleaned up! As Kim said to Kath …” I want to be effluent , Kath Effluent ” which is what this complaint is!!
The problem is with residents in seaside locations paying top dollar for their properties and resenting the campers who get the same views for a fraction of the price. It’s outright classist discrimination!
I stayed at Werribee South caravan park a couple of years ago and after chatting with a few of the permanent residents there they told me that their sites had originally been along the front overlooking the ocean, but nearby residents complained to council on the basis of “Why should they get better views than us?” and so the council went to huge expense to relocate all the permanent’s dwellings (which were all really well maintained and not unsightly at all) to the rear of the caravan park and now the front ocean view sites are only for short stays and overnight tourists.
With ocean front property becoming so valuable, I’ve seen a lot of what once were great holiday seaside caravan parks get redeveloped and replaced with apartment blocks and I fear one day there won’t be any left at all.
I would like to buy a mobile home or caravan,but with all the negative stuff I read and the amount of people now doing it,also the number of campsites closing down etc etc,,its really starting to put me off. I buy a van and have to spend my whole day wondering if I can park it somewhere????
This campground is amazing. It allows locals (near and far) to experience a truly wonderful South Australian camping and fishing experience. I agree that there should be controls relating to campers, but surely the positive experience that future generations have and the majority good behaviour shown should outweigh the few negative bad behaviours?
Yes it’s another David & Goliath situation. A few years ago another Adelaide council evicted a number of permanent residents with no compensation so they could proceed with a 3 million dollar development. I wouldn’t hold my breath on this one.
Let’s be fair to all and keep it as a day park only, no overnight camping, and set up a free camping site elsewhere, under council management.
How’s that fair? Why can’t all Australians enjoy some of our beaches and waterfront, if only for a short time. The actual waterfront is a national asset and not owned by anyone!
Mick, don’t be put off buying a caravan or motor home because of the negative stuff that you read. There are plenty of positive things going for travellers out there. We holiday in a motor home and have found so many welcoming places around our wonderful country. Get out there and find all the good things that are waiting for you to discover.
Makes you wonder if the one resident has designs on a lovely new beach side resort maybe… just saying
It’s an easy fix , council supply improved showers, toilets and then put onsite permanent caretakers , works for other campgrounds around the country . Surely it is a win win for the lot all residents to have a properly attended campground and nomads will keep it going with their patronage .
Does the council make money from the camp grounds. If yes tell the resident to take and run & jump.
We have arrived in Meekatharra on a Sunday of a long weekend. We have camped in a gorgeous free camp not even 3kms from the town. We have refuelled about $100.00 worth and are hoping the little supermarket will be open tomorrow so we can pick uo some nonurgent supplies. If this camping area wasnt available we would have continued on to somewhere else and not bothered spending any of our dollars here. Qld has realised that the ‘free campers’ are what keeps small towns alive. Besides most free campers/ grey nomads have vans that are fully self contained anyway. Sadly in all our years of free camping we have found international tourists are the main offenders for leaving sites dirty. Perhaps when they hire their bongo vans etc they should be instructed on the way Aussies camp as well as how to drive on open roads with road trains ( pulling out on a road train is not a good idea, weve seen it too often). Free camps bring money into towns, so if a ‘resident’ doesnt like the campers perhaps instead of getting a lawyer to write up a letter for closure try instigating a caretaker. Geeveston in Tassie does that a small fee pernight $5 or $10 I cant recall which, the elderly chap came around each night and if you were new he also gave you a small carry bag with a notepad, biro, a map of the town, leaflets on things to see and places to go. It was one of the nicest places and we felt so welcome. There are other ways to control dirty or raucous behaviour without closing free camps. Have a look at Tassie and Queensland. Tassie is the best free camp place by far they have it well and truely nailed
Fully agree 100%.We’re from WA and will now look at bypassing towns like Mt Barker if they close down their free camp site because the caravan park owners complained they were loosing money. Now the service station, bakery and supermarket will miss out on the money we usually spend in the town.
Maybe.. when comes to light the council’s are being bullied by such a minority.
Grey Nomads could write letters such as Jane and Ken’s, pointing out the benefits of a positive outcome for the whole community, instead for one …quite possibly a front for future big development.
Which this has written all over it.
I agree with comments re council’s attitude. Best way to vent you anger at this type of bullying is to bypass the town and the entire area and see how the traders react when their income is reduced or non existent
I think that it might be worthwhile making some inquiry as to the “resident’s” possible association with either of the not-too-far-away van parks!
I’m a GN and am here at Rapid Bay now after reading about the problems. and it’s a wonderful spot to camp. At $12.50 pp p.n. it’s affordable and popular with families. Everyone is behaving well.