Gin Gin rest area

'What are these guys thinking of?'

Candidates' plea has locals scratching heads

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RESIDENTS of a small Queensland town are scratching their heads after candiates in recent council elections called for an RV-friendly stopover.

Paul Bongioletti and Ross Peddlesden's electioneering included demands for more facilities at Gin Gin, which straddles the busy Bruce Highway in the state's south-east.

But locals were quick to point out it already offers a large rest area with two toilets blocks, undercover picnic tables and benches, BBQs and drinking water. The well-kept area was suitable for large rigs.

The town's showground provided budget sites and there was also a caravan park and dump point nearby.

 "What are these guys thinking of?" one astonished resident asked. "There's everything a traveller could want here. There's even a fully-stock information centre and town-centre caravan parking facilities."

Mr Bongioletti pointed out there would be around 750,000 registered RVs in Australia in the next four years as baby boomers hit the road.

"It is estimated there are around 100,000 RVs on the road on any given day," he told media.

Towns embracing RV friendly policies were already experiencing the benefits from caravanners and other travellers who "had a very powerful grapevine".

Communities lived or died on their reputation and this was the reason the tourism sector had to be embraced, he added.

Mr Peddlesden believed towns should provide one location for RVs, with two on the coast and at Childers and Gin Gin.

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