Call for free RV trial site
Bellarine leaders push to attract more ‘grey nomads’ to the region
A FREE camping trial site should be set up on the Bellarine Peninsula to gauge the impacts of embracing the neglected tourism sector, local leaders believe.
The Committee for Bellarine is leading a renewed push to allow recreational vehicles to stay at low-cost camp areas, believing the economic benefits are undeniable.
The City of Greater Geelong has long avoided courting the traditional ‘ grey nomad’ free campers, believing that the travelling tourists should be based in caravan parks.
But during a trip to the region, Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) has launched a fresh call for authorities to put the welcome mat out for the lowcost camping sector.
The closest RV-friendly free site is at the Barwon River bank in Winchelsea, which the Surf Coast Shire introduced last year after a 12-month trial.
CMCA Victorian representative Rex Breen said statistics showed that a third of RV users would always go to a caravan park.
Another third would sometimes use a park, while a final third would only ever use free camping sites.
“There’s a whole segment that’s not being catered for at all in this area,” Mr Breen said.
CMCA national chairman Garry Lee said the market was booming, with more than 620,000 registered RV’s in Australia.
On the back of increasing numbers of Baby Boomers retiring, that number is growing about 5 per cent per year, Mr Lee said.
“There should be a low-cost camp out here,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be at the beach, but it should be reasonably close to a regional shopping centre.”
Committee for Bellarine executive director Tom O’Connor backs a trial, and has organised meetings with the council to discuss the initiative.
“We recognise there’s a clear economic benefit there, but we also don’t want to temper the region’s cultural and social strengths,” he said.
Mr O’Connor said the new tourism sector would deliver an immediate boost in free promotion of the region through word of mouth.