The Gympie Regional Council is finalising its Recreational Vehicle (RV) Strategy and if you would like to have your say, you will need send your feedback in now.
This is not a new initiative as any traveller knows, with RV Parks across the land, but they have the added value of offering regions a great opportunity for to promote themselves as a destination of choice for travellers.
There has been much discussion in the Rainbow Beach Chamber of Commerce meetings for more than 12 months regarding RV parks with proponents strongly for or against the idea.
The draft strategy, which is available on council’s website, focuses on current and potential RV sites established on Council-owned or controlled land and focuses on self-contained recreational vehicles to minimise on-site impacts associated with the use.
In locations where public amenities exist in relative proximity, self-containment is less of an issue, provided any grey water and black water (wastewater) is not discharged to ground.
The definition of a RV is a ‘A caravan, motorhome or campervan that can hold fresh water, grey water and black water and has on-board cooking, sleeping and toilet facilities.’
The strategy identifies several sites for self-contained RVs and the required standards.
“Recommendations are based upon the availability of space, the number of sites, existing facilities, proximity to other sites, attractions, townships and minimising environmental impacts.”
“There is a trend toward self-containment, supported by the ‘leave no trace’ code of conduct promoted by the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) and the ‘Leave
no Trace Australia’ principles to minimise impacts in natural areas.”
“Research indicates those who use commercial sites are generally a different group of travellers from those who use non-commercial sites. Accommodation options to meet the needs of both types of travellers are required.”
“Free camping already occurs on an informal basis within Council reserves and on roadside areas. To ensure that free camping areas are adequately managed to avoid adverse social and environmental impacts, some framework is required to be established to define the nature and intensity of the activity.”
“This strategy focuses solely on the low cost and free options available on Council owned or controlled land. In recognition of the limited infrastructure existing at these sites, it is necessary to limit the use of the sites to self-contained RVs to ensure the environment of the sites is not degraded.
Feedback on several locations was provided during the public consultation phase, including possible parks in, Chatsworth Park, Elgin Vale Sawmill, Gympie Showgrounds RV Park, Kandanga RV Park, Kilkivan, Rattler Precinct RV Park and Tin Can Bay.
The proposed Tin Can Bay RV Park site is the central-eastern portion of Lot 69 CP910971 adjacent to the Gympie Road/Pennycuick Road frontage.
The Tin Can Bay feedback centered on the need for a free or low-cost RV park at Tin Can Bay and other parts of the Cooloola Coast all year round along, an access and maneuverability issue with the Tin Can Bay dump point and it was suggested an additional dump point should be located on the foreshore, which could also accommodate yacht nomads.
Several possible sites were considered in the Rainbow Beach area however none were regarded as being suitable due to a range of factors including the proximity to, and availability of, a range of camping and accommodation options within the Rainbow Beach area, the proximity to surrounding sensitive land uses and the extent of works required to make the sites suitable for vehicle traffic.
The argument for RV parks is caravan parks provide a high level of services such as powered and non-powered sites, showers, toilets and laundry facilities, communal areas, kiosks, as well as potable water and dump points for the disposal of wastewater. A number provide extra facilities to attract tourists including swimming pools, playgrounds and organised activities.
The draft states that there is evidence that a trend toward higher density accommodation such as cabins in caravan parks has contributed to a reduction in the number of available casual camping/stopover sites in some caravan parks.
“This is not the case for all commercial parks and there are many parks that have retained sufficient capacity for RVs and have the ability to cater for larger vehicles or have specifically targeted the RV market by providing large spaces, easy access and high-quality facilities.”
However, within the regions, commercial caravan parks often booked to capacity during peak holiday periods and the utilisation of council controlled land for the ‘drive tourism market’ would be a bonus for the tourism industry.
According to the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) Dollar Wise Park Network there is a growing trend for travellers seeking lower cost options with minimal facilities who may ordinarily avoid caravan parks if other free or low-cost options are available.
While there are national parks within the Gympie Region for RV vehicles to park which are economical, pets and generators are not permitted in most camping areas within QPWS managed areas.
A bone of contention with Cooloola Coast locals is the unauthorised roadside camping which is prevalent across the Coast, both within the residential and commercial areas of the Rainbow Beach township and on the foreshore areas at Tin Can Bay. These campervans are usually not self-contained not in designated locations and with no access to public amenities.
The recommended action by the Council is to “Progress actions proposed in this strategy to assist with occurrences of unauthorised camping, such as increasing awareness of designated camping facilities available, including RV sites, the installation of consistent signage with clear duration of stay limits, and regular monitoring and enforcement programs.”
The draft says this should assist in managing the occurrence of unauthorised camping in this area.
Other recommendations including waster water disposal, dump points, water fill stations, long vehicle parking, legislative requirements are all comprehensively covered in the draft strategy.
Several comments received were in support of low-cost RV sites, rather than free sites indicating most travellers are happy to pay a small fee where services are provided,
Feedback is required by Monday 31 January 2022, and can be submitted via mail to PO Box 155, Gympie Qld 4570 or via email to planningprojects@gympie.qld.gov.au
View the draft strategy at www.gympie.qld.gov.au/residents/have-your-say
