COUNCILLORS have voted against building a new caravan park at a popular recreational area in New South Wales ... at least not for the time being.

They decided they could not justify the million-dollar venture at Ben Chifley Dam near Bathurst, but will revisit the possibility in their 2010/2011 management plan.

The popular area already offers six cabins – home to some of the world's best athletes at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games – but there are no facilities for caravanners or motorhomers. Overnight camping at the dam is prohibited.

Bathurst Regional Council recently considered three options for providing a caravan park, but rejected the first on the grounds that the site would have been too far from available facilities and services.

The two other options – one costing $1.15 million for a 58-site park and the other $965,000 for 22 sites – were considered uneconomical to build.

A report from Corporate Services and Finance director Bob Roach suggested that financial returns from any caravan park would be low, just like the cabins.

But Councillor Bobby Bourke urged the council not to rule out a caravan park completely. "A million dollars might be a lot of money to spend on a caravan park out there but I think there should be more to discuss," he said.

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