By ALENA HIGGINS
THE Southern Downs is losing up to $1.8 million in tourism revenue because it fails to provide adequate non-commercial accommodation, a national motorhome club spokesman says.
Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) communications manager Colin Balfour said the region was shunning a slice of the lucrative recreational vehicle (RV) pie – the fastest growing domestic tourism sector in Australia, according to CMCA.
“Currently the Southern Downs region is missing out on this market because it is perceived as being unfriendly to RV travellers by not offering a mix of accommodation options,” Mr Balfour said.
“It’s the businesses and towns like Warwick and Stanthorpe that are missing out.
“(RV travellers) spend like they are home, because they are, just on wheels.”
Earlier this month, Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) established a reference group to investigate camping options for the area, using the Department of Tourism’s ‘Queensland Camping Options Toolkit’ as a guide.
Made up of industry stakeholders, the group is tasked with devising ways to ensure the region is positioned to capitalise on the growth of the market, while balancing the expectations of members on both sides of the commercial and non-commercial divide.
Mr Balfour applauded the move, saying it was important for council to look at low-cost and no-cost alternatives to meet consumer demand, but stressed the need for transparency and a whole-of-community approach in decision making.
“The self-contained segment of the RV traveller market regularly chooses not to use caravan parks as these vehicle’s accommodation needs are limited to access to a dump point and potable water and a place to park,” he said.
“Consequently, they do not want to pay between $25 and $35 per night for an unpowered site in a caravan park.”
However, president of the Caravan Park Association of Queensland and co-owner of Warwick’s Kahler’s Oasis Caravan Park Majella Kahler rejected Mr Balfour’s claims, saying SDRC provides two camping areas targeted at self-contained RV travellers, one each at Allora and Dalveen.
These spots were chosen as they did not directly affect commercial park operators, Ms Kahler said, but added council was reassessing whether the cost of ongoing maintenance was still “worthwhile” at the Dalveen site.
“There is no such thing as free camping – somebody is paying for it,” Ms Kahler said.
“If you are a pensioner and struggling to pay your rates bill and you can’t afford to go on holidays, then I think these pensioners would object to us subsidising free areas for people to have a holiday.”
A SDRC spokeswoman said the council was reviewing all of its parks as part of its Parks Rationalisation Program.
The reference group is expected to provide council with its recommendations by April 2015.
