Interesting Change of Heart at Noosa Council

[tomcarm]

Latest News Item - Noosa


Millions in tourist cash is driving by Noosa each year

Peter Gardiner (18th July 2014 11:10 AM) Updated: 11:11 AM

Picture of Wicked Van
MOVE ON: Noosa Mayor Noel Playford wants these vans replaced by recreational vehicles on rural properties. Geoff Potter

MILLIONS of tourist dollars are driving past Noosa every year in the form of recreational vehicles looking for "home stays" on the sort of hinterland properties we have in abundance.

And Mayor Noel Playford is keen to apply the brakes on this grey nomad-led bypass by supporting local changes to the Noosa Plan, which will allow self-contained RV campers to stay on private rural land.

"One of the things we're looking at doing is introducing the capacity for overnight stops for self-contained recreational vehicles," Cr Playford said.

This is apart from the push to accommodate travellers in local showgrounds.

Cr Playford said what the council had in mind was self-contained vehicles being "home-stayed" in rural areas for "a night or two".

"We've been getting some Wicked vans in some of the places we don't want them, but here's a completely different section of the market completely bypassing us every year.

"We're just talking about using private land - say if people have got a nice paddock," the mayor said.

"There's tens of thousand recreational vehicles heading down the highway every year, and they can bring significant money into the town but currently we don't have that definition in the planning scheme.

"It's like caravan parks or nothing.

"They don't need the (caravan park) facilities - they've got them all on board, so our local economy can really benefit from that, especially in the rural areas. It's something we can make a little bit on the side from."

Cr Playford said this style of stay was strongly supported by the State Government.

"They commissioned and paid for a strategy study some time ago and that market is worth billions and billions of dollars to the Queensland economy," he said.

"They don't want to stay in caravan parks even if they can find a slot but they'll stay up in the rural areas because that's the sort of experiences they're looking for."

He said council staff were looking at the technical issues needed to accommodate this market.

The council is also looking at other relaxations for accommodation on rural land but, according to Cr Playford, "I don't think we're going to be over-run."

[generdawg]

"They don't want to stay in caravan parks...but they'll stay up in the rural areas because that's the sort of experiences they're looking for." Wow, it took long enough and if not for the dollars rolling by, they would still not have a clue.


.... according to Cr Playford, "I don't think we're going to be over-run."