Fraser Coast: RV travellers stay free

Fraser Coast Council has ramped up its efforts to attract RV travellers with their innovative Stop and Shop campaign now operating in two locations.

Visitors to the Fraser Coast are able to stay up to 24 hours at two designated long parking sites in Hervey Bay and Maryborough, provided they can present a receipt to the visitor centre showing they have spent at least $10 in the region.

Council’s Tourism, Marketing & Communications Officer Cr Stuart Taylor says the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive.

“It’s been very well used in the three months since we’d established it, he says. “Even in the short time the campaign has been running, we can see that the RV community has really embraced it and are staying even after the 24 hours.”

The Stop and Shop concept was one of the recommendations presented by the Camping Options Stakeholders Working Group when Council adopted the Fraser Coast Camping Options Strategy in March this year.

Cr Taylor says one of the common fears business operators had before the program started was that RV travellers wouldn’t spend any money in the community, but he says those concerns have been completely blown out of the water.

“Even though $10 is all that’s required, and the average spend so far equates to about $113 per camper – well over and above what we were anticipating.”

There are plans to have a total of four Stop and Shop sites across the region.

Cr Taylor says council will reassess the program after 12 months, taking community feedback into account and identifying which areas require additional spots.

Fraser Coast Council is progressing through the 23 recommendations that form part of the Fraser Coast Camping Strategy, which include savings for existing Commercial Caravan Parks and changes to the Fraser Coast Planning Scheme.

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