Plans for a new caravan park at the gateway to Victoria’s Yarra Valley have run into strong opposition.
The proposals would see the site near the township of Coldstream developed to accommodate 96 caravans, 16 eco-cabins and up to 40 tents.
However, a newly formed Caravan Park Opposition Group is fighting the plans for the 28-hectare green wedge site, saying it is unsuitable because it is an agricultural area that sits between two strawberry farms.
“That site is appealing, a very grassy paddock and people think ‘great I’m in the country now’ but it will be dotted with caravans,” Caravan Park Opposition Group member, Ken MacGowan, told the Leader newspaper. “It will spoil the whole appeal of the place.”
He said the group also feared traffic congestion especially on public holidays and weekends because the site was near the intersection of Maroondah and Melba highways. And Mr MacGowan argued that visitors to the park might also be exposed to fertilisers and noise from machinery used by farmers in the early mornings.
He said the group was not opposed to a caravan park or development in the Yarra Ranges but wanted an appropriate planning decision that would help Coldstream develop and thrive.
While there has been some local opposition, the Yarra Ranges Tourism chief executive Simon O’Callaghan has given it an enthusiastic thumbs-up.
“It would be a fantastic asset to the township and community at Coldstream,” he previously told Leader. “There is an absolute need for budget accommodation and also the high-end camping for families.”
The planning application for a caravan park was received by Yarra Ranges Council in August and a decision on the plan will be made soon.
· Where do you stay when visiting the Yarra Ranges? Comment below.
Here we go again. The bloody NIMBY bug strikes again. After the closure of the van park in Wantirna South in Melbourne, the city is screaming out for another one. Properly controlled and cared for the park would bring business to the small town which has little going for it. NIMBY stands for “Not In My Back Yard”. Good idea, but not here.
The caravan park in coldstream is a great idea, it would bring tourists to the valley, busibesses would grow and so would employment. It is not for permanent residences just for holiday makers. Stop thinking of your selves and start thinking of the unemployed who wold benefit from the
jobs