Work forges ahead to provide
 up to 100 sites in time for Xmas

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SCARNESS Caravan Park on Queensland's Fraser Coast will partially reopen for self-contained caravans and RVs by September.

Travellers and guests will be offered discounted fees as part of Fraser Coast Regional Council's plan to progressively upgrade the site over the next 18 months.

Councillor David Lee said the park was partially closed in late March due to COVID-19 restrictions and then completely closed in June after testing identified the need to replace underground electrical cabling throughout the entire site.

"Council had already begun master planning for the four beachfront tourist caravan parks we own, and has now decided to fast track the process for the park," he said.

"A works plan has been developed to minimise the impact on businesses and park guests and ensure parts of the park can open for self-contained caravans and RVs as soon as possible.

"Under the first stage, the western and middle sections of the park will remain closed while the above ground facilities are demolished and underground services replaced, with temporary fencing being erected in coming days.

"In the eastern section, work will start on removing the powerheads, but all roads and slabs will remain in place, the dump point will remain open, solar lighting will be installed and potable water will be available.

"This will allow the eastern section to be opened by September as a self-contained caravan and RV site for about 40 campers.

"As work progresses through the middle and western sections, a further 20 to 60 self-contained caravan and RV sites will open. This will be a greenfield area as all power, roads, slabs and underground infrastructure will have been removed.

"This means between 60 and 100 self-contained caravan and RV sites will be open for the Christmas holiday period, with all on site works ceasing from mid-December to mid-January."

Cr Lee said the next stage would be constructing a newly designed, fully serviced caravan park in the western and middle sections of the site, which would occur over about five to six months in 2021 pending approvals.

Construction work in the eastern section of the caravan park will be done in the last stage.

"During the construction period, fees for self-contained caravan and RV campers will be half the current rates for unpowered sites with an adjustment made for any waterfront sites," Cr Lee said.

"We apologise for the inconvenience to businesses and guests while the work is carried out but the end result will be a safer, more modern caravan park catering for the needs of today’s tourists."

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Plan to minimise impact on local businesses and park guests

THE work plan will progressively upgrade the Scarness Caravan Park over the next 18 months.

There will be a series of stages to minimise the impact on local businesses and park guests, and ensure parts of the park open for self-contained caravans and RVs as soon as possible.

The decision follows recent testing that identified the need to replace underground electrical cabling throughout the entire park.

STAGE 1 Works from August to December 2020:

The western and middle sections of the park will remain closed as a construction site while the above ground facilities are demolished and underground services removed.

In the eastern section of the park, the powerheads will be removed but all roads and slabs will remain in place, the dump point will remain open, solar lighting will be installed and potable water will be available.

This will allow the eastern section to be opened by September as a self-contained caravan and RV site for about 40 campers.

As work progresses through the middle and western sections, a further 20 to 60 self-contained caravan and RV sites will be opened.

This will be a greenfield area as all power, roads, slabs and underground infrastructure will have been removed.

This means between 60 and 100 self-contained caravan and RV sites will be open for the Christmas holiday period, with all on site works ceasing from mid-December to mid-January.

STAGE 2 Works throughout 2021 to early 2022:

The next stage will be the construction of a newly designed, fully serviced caravan park, starting in the western section and progressing through to the middle section.

This is expected to take about five to six months, pending approvals.

Once this work is completed, these sections will be opened as a fully serviced caravan park and the eastern section will be closed for works to be carried out over about two to three months.