July 2010

Unfair competition: CCIA

RV-friendly towns 'breaking the law'

SOME New South Wales councils taking part in an RV-friendly scheme are breaking the law, according to the Caravan & Camping Industry Association of NSW.

Chief executive officer Barry Baillee said it involved a few councils in the state which had been given 'RV Friendly Town' status by the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia.

He claimed that most of the land they were offering for overnighting under the scheme was noncompliant with legislation, making it an illegal operation.

"Also, where these sites are offered free of charge, or at a nominal fee, the councils are not complying with the Competitive Neutrality Guidelines and are unfairly competing with legitimate caravan parks," he said.

Mr Baillee makes his point in a submission to a Queensland Government inquiry into developing rural and regional communities through grey nomad tourism.

And he warned in the submission that the Land and Property Management Authority would be "enforcing" councils which did not comply with the law.

He maintained that caravan parks could adequately cater for all recreational vehicle travellers and, given the current average occupancy rate was less than 50 percent, they would easily be able to cope with future growth.

He said the caravan, motorhome and camping industries had been the fastest growing domestic tourism sector in Australia for at least 12 years, with caravanners accounting for the majority of RV travellers.

"Despite some differences in vehicle types, all can be adequately accommodated in caravan parks in NSW, and I imagine the same applies in Queensland," he said.

Many RV travellers were not necessarily influenced by state boundaries when planning trips or holidays.

"It therefore seems appropriate that similar policies should apply from state to state," Mr Baillee added.