While higher fuel prices have hit grey nomads hard, most would point to the rising cost of caravan park stays as the biggest blow to their budgets.
Sadly, it seems the days of seriously cheap family stays at stunning coastal van parks are now pretty much a distant memory. And, while there is no doubt that the cost of things like energy and insurance made significant site fee increases inevitable, the prices being charged are, in some cases, genuinely eye-watering.
And it is not just privately-owned parks. Quite a few council-owned van parks can also ‘surprise’ guests with the fees being asked.
It all raises the question of whether the real value of a van park should be measured by the pleasure it brings, not simply the money it earns.
Do lower van park fees have you heading in a different direction? PIC: Ezza
At its meeting on June 18, Sunshine Coast Council voted to adopt a Full Cost Pricing approach for its six holiday parks, and to introduce dynamic pricing whereby higher fees can be charged during periods of heavy demand.
Full Cost Pricing means the parks recover the full cost of providing the service, including capital and overhead costs, and do not receive a competitive advantage over private operators.
Sunshine Coast Mayor, Rosanna Natoli, said dynamic pricing was used by a lot of different accommodation providers.
“We are absolutely going to get our costs back,” she told the media. “And make sure we make money on our holiday parks to benefit our ratepayers.”
But not all local authorities adopt the same approach.
In NSW, Kyogle Council has just voted to to put forward to public consultation a plan that would ensure fees at its Kyogle Gardens Caravan Park are lower than other parks in the area.
The park, which re-opened last year following a $1.8 million upgrade, has 27 powered sites and 10 unpowered sites, although it doesn’t have facilities like camp kitchens, barbecues, and playgrounds. If the proposal goes forward, a powered site for two adults will cost $29 a night, and an unpowered site $15 a night.
The council decided a simple year-round price would achieve its key aim … attract visitors to Kyogle.
Cr Brett McNamara said being the cheapest place around would give the town a point of difference.
And councillor Janet Wilson agreed, while mourning the fact that over the past 10 or 20 years it had become increasingly unaffordable for families to have a holiday. She said having a straight, simple, cheap fee to make the park accessible for allcomers was the way to go.
“It’s just our land anyway, we don’t have a huge amount of money to pay out,” she said. “We are not in it to make a profit, we are in it to provide a good facility that allows families to have a little holiday.”
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