The temperature is rising in the debate over the future of a number of caravan parks in coastal areas of northern New South Wales.
Plans to spend millions of dollars at the Silver Sands and Shaws Bay caravan parks in and Evans Head and Ballina have come in for heavy criticism, amid fears it will mean higher prices and fewer camping sites being available.
Hundreds of people have attended a recent meeting to discuss the future of the Silver Sands caravan park with Richmond Valley Mayor Ernie Bennett saying the council should resume management of the park from the state’s Crown Holiday Parks Trust.
“When council ran the park, costs in there were half what they are today, and it’s only been a couple of years,” he said. “It’s a crown reserve and it was taken out of the control of council, and this is something that’s happened right up and down the coast.”
Further north, it has just been revealed that new plans of management for the Ferry Reserve, Massey Green and Terrace Reserve holiday parks at Brunswick Heads have now been approved … without the knowledge of the relevant council.
According to the ABC, the New South Wales Crown Lands website shows the decision was made three weeks ago.
“It’s quite a shock to think that something that is so contentious amongst the community and so important for the community is released without any fanfare,” Byron Mayor Simon Richardson told the ABC. “I think perhaps we could read no fanfare another way and that is slipping it through. Hopefully it’s not an indication of the type of community consultation and concern that the trust have.”
The chairman of the state’s Crown Holiday Parks Trust Alan Revell has dimissed criticism of management plans, saying better facilities will always attract more visitors.
He told the ABC that the Silver Sands and Shaws Bay caravan parks were currently attracting occupancies in the order of 40-45%, while they should be achieving 65-70% occupancy.
Mr Revell said the parks were being under utilised and that experience showed that once something was done with the parks and operators ‘dollied them up’, then occupancy rates would improve.
Comment below
We have been looking at spending some time in this region later this year, but have been put off by the very expensive Caravan Parks along the coast. I am sure we are not the only ones and therefore the area suffers by the lack of visitors spending money there and going elsewhere. Tony A doesn’t want us to waste our Super on enjoying ourselves.
Why bother with caravan parks? they are way too dear. We free camp. Buy yourself a Camps 6 or 7 and you will find lots of places to free camp. Make sure you have solar power and you will be alright. Their prices are just beyond us retirees. If they would only charge $10 per night even without power people may go there.
Probably the $32 pn for powered site has something to do with occupancy rates, especially for Grey Nomads.
I would not even go there Let them survive on Summer Trade only