A healthy balance between an recreational vehicles and Nyngan caravan parks is being sought by the Bogan Shire Council.
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Free camping in Nyngan was on the April council agenda.
General manager Derek Francis said the Riverside Caravan Park have reported recreational vehicles (RVs) have been illegally hooking up to power at the Flood Memorial Park.
“The purpose of this report is to advise council of recent issues relating to caravans and motor homes at Flood Memorial Park and to seek confirmation of council’s policy position regarding free camping in Nyngan,” he said in his report.
The Riverside Tourist Park (RTP) and the Caravan Park stressed how hard it is to sell a product when it is given out for free.
“We would like to once again stress that it is very hard to try and compete as a caravan park with such a good location that provides free power, water and toilets. [At times] there have been more vans parked there than what we have had in both of our parks,” a RTP spokesperson said in an email.
Cr Jodi Douglas said she’s fine with Nyngan being an RV friendly town, but people utilising the free caravan facilities can’t expect to hook up to the power for free.
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“They shouldn’t expect to use power, it’s stealing from the local community. There are cheap options available here,” she said.
Mr Francis reported people were accessing the power despite measures council took to prevent it happening.
“It appears that the measures council undertook to prevent access to power had not been totally successful. The power supply to the power ‘mushrooms’ at the park has now been physically disconnected,” he said.
“Council needs to identify the right balance between being support of the local caravan park businesses and promoting Nyngan and the wider Bogan Shire to what appears to be an increasing number of people seeking free camping.”
Councillors resolved to leave the free camping policy as it was but add some more information to the signage at the Flood Memorial park.
Cr Douglas and Cr Kevin Ryan moved the sign read “24 hours free; no power; power available at these two sites:...” and provide details of the two caravan parks in Nyngan.
The motion was carried.
Should free camping be made available in Nyngan? Let us know by answering the poll at our website www.nygnanobserver.com.au