'They have provided invaluable input'

Residents offer local perspective
on Rainbow park redevelopment

PLANNING for the redevelopment of Rainbow Caravan Park in Victoria is progressing, reports Hindmarsh Shire Council. Mayor Ron Ismay said interested local residents were approached to provide a local perspective and to help consultants with the park's redevelopment plan. "They have subsequently provided invaluable input that has led to a range of key aspects being included," he added. The council and electricity supplier Powercor are working through the design stage of a power supply upgrade which will increase capacity at the park. "Council has allocated funding to upgrade the power supply into the Rainbow Recreation Reserve and Caravan Park," Cr Ismay said. "It will provide sufficient power for future developments, including the new joint use change rooms that will be located within the grounds of the caravan park but used by participants utilising the adjacent netball and tennis courts."

CCA warning as more caravans hit road

'Too many frightening incidents involving RVs'

Have your say

THERE are too many serious accidents and frightening incidents involving caravans attempting to overtake, according to the Caravan Council of Australia.

The warning comes after a dramatic increase in the number of Australians being forced to holiday at home because of COVID restrictions.

More RVs than ever have taken to our highways and byways and caravan parks are reportedly full to overflowing.

The council's founder and general manager, Colin Young, pointed out that it is now more important than ever for caravanners to take extra care when travelling.

When at speed, it was vital they were able to stop ‒ or decelerate ‒ at a reasonable rate … safely and in a straight line.

"With so many significant variables involved, it is not possible to provide a definitive procedure to determine the overall distance required for safe overtaking for every tow-vehicle and caravan combination," he said.

"The most important requirement is simply that the driver must have good eyesight … especially for the perception of distance on the road.

"If you are not 100 percent confident that you can overtake a vehicle safely in the prevailing atmospheric and road conditions, do not attempt to overtake."

Mr Young said drivers must have a good appreciation of the acceleration performance of their tow-vehicle.

When lane-change manoeuvres were undertaken, they must have a good appreciation of the handling/stability performance of their tow-vehicle and caravan combination.

He said caravanners should be extremely careful and double-check the road ahead to ensure there is sufficient clear road to safely overtake another vehicle.

Be aware of dips, intersecting roads, the road is wide enough and without rough edges and that the vehicle you are about to overtake is not preparing to pass another vehicle or make a right turn.

   'This is a great thing for tourism'

Mayor welcomes SA city's
new attraction for travellers

ERIN Thompson, Mayor of the City of Onkaparinga on the southern fringe of Adelaide, has announced a new attraction ... a dump point. While admitting in a Facebook posting that it may not be particularly exciting for people without a caravan or other RV, he stresses: "This is a great thing for tourism and will hopefully attract more travellers to the region to support our fantastic local businesses." The City of Onkaparinga ‒ population around 173.000 ‒ is the largest metropolitan council in South Australia. The dump point is located at the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Coast Visitor Centre. Have your say

  'Just time time for busier months'

Park brightens town's approach following $215,000 facelift

UPGRADES to a caravan park have brightened the approach to the rural town of Innisfail in Queensland, according to the local council. Planning and Regional Development portfolio holder Nick Pervan said the River Drive Caravan Park was the first area people noticed when driving into town from the south. "The council has invested time and money into ensuring this facility is well above standards and has the necessary appeal to attract travellers to stop and spend time in the local area," Councillor Pervan explained. Completion of the work came just in time for Far North Queensland's busier tourist months.

  'Difficult to pick up leaks'

'Smart meters' save $50,000 in
water leaks at caravan parks

CARAVAN parks in NSW's MidCoast region have helped prove the value digital water meters as water conservation tools. Council-installed 'smart meters' have detected leaks at 10 MidCoast caravan parks this year, leading to an estimated saving of 26 million litres of water. The council's director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Rob Scott, said the saving was significant and showed the technology was proving a valuable way for major customers to reduce water use and ensure their systems were as efficient as possible. "Unfortunately, many of our caravan parks have old pipes and are located on sandy soil, which makes it really difficult to pick up on leaks because the water doesn’t show up on the surface," he said.

Retreat caravan owners hit the
road for a record get-together

QUEENSLAND'S Retreat Caravan Group is setting a record for its longest Get-Together, which usually takes place over one weekend and at a single location. Event administrators Barry and Sandy Neilsen said the event, which they hailed as a "huge success", was now winding down and breaking into smaller groups. "There have been a few friendships formed and old acquaintances renewed, with everyone willing to help each other out to ensure all had a great time," they said. Retreaters from Queensland, NSW and VIctoria started making their way north on July 1.

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