Uproar over member-only RV parks

Australia’s biggest RV club is facing opposition to an ambitious plan to establish a chain of low-cost, member-only parks around Australia.

The Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia, is hoping to establish up to 100 “no-frills” RV parks by 2019, as it attempts to boost its membership over the same period by as much as 50 per cent, to 50,000 vehicles.

Writing in the latest issue of the club’s Wanderer magazine, CMCA chairman Garry Lee said the objective of the new RV Parks scheme “is to establish an Australia-wide network of member–only recreational vehicle parks, which provide  low-cost, no-frills accommodation for self-contained RV travellers”.

The first CMCA RV Park should open shortly in Ingham, Queensland, and the CMCA predicts another five or six new parks before the end of the year as it continues discussions with local councils in Victoria, Queensland and NSW about the possibility of establishing long term leases on suitable vacant land.

Lees said the fenced parks will be up to 10,000 square metres and be able to accommodate up to 50 motorhomes. They will offer basic facilities including potable water, dump point and a basic shelter for member gatherings.

He expects many of the parks to be located in rural Australia “supporting those smaller towns that need RV tourism to survive”.

The CMCA currently has around 60,000-plus  members, who pay annual member fees of $44, and include associate members such as caravanners that were recently allowed to attend CMCA events.

But while Lees said the parks would offer a number of community benefits including additional revenue to local councils, the Caravan Parks Association of Queensland has argued they will only benefit members and will compete unfairly with commercial caravan parks that are forced to comply with stricter regulations.

”Caravan parks and the drive sector in Queensland offers accommodation options for all types of recreational vehicles and types of travellers, regardless of whether they are club members,” the state industry body said in a statement.

“This projects requests Council provide CMCA an opportunity to acquire land, negotiate special conditions outside of the local laws and licensing requirements and then to only offer this acquired land to members of the CMCA and further, only to members which meet their own criteria. We submit that Queensland should not be in the business of discriminating against member types and vehicle types.”

Lees has countered concerns that “the CMCA will take over existing low-cost camping grounds to the detriment of general RV travellers”.

“At this time, most councils we are talking to are looking to create new sites on existing vacant land, meaning CMCA RV Parks will actually be increasing the availability of low-cost camping options,” he said.

He also pointed out that similar schemes are operating successfully in a number of countries including the USA, New Zealand and the UK.

To stretch its members' RV dollars even further, the club also recently introduced a 'Dollar Wise' network of existing caravan parks willing to offer $10 (or less) sites to CMCA members.

So far, there are 12 participating parks, including Milla Milla Tourist Park in Queensland, Ouyen Caravan Park in Victoria, Trayning Caravan Park in Western Australia and Trangie Caravan Park in NSW.