Shire of Harvey Councillors have approved a 12-month Recreation Vehicle (RV) Friendly Trial offering free overnight short-stay rest areas to fully self-contained RV and caravan travellers.
The Trial, to commence in March 2023, includes offering a limited number of bays for free for up to 48 hours to RV and caravan travellers located in Australind, Brunswick, Harvey and Yarloop.
Council made the decision after it was presented with the outcomes from the Recreation Vehicle (RV) Friendly Trial Community Consultation Report. The report was the result of a comprehensive community consultation process. The move towards the implementation of a Trial was spurred on by the Harvey Region Strategic Report released in 2021. It highlighted a severe lack of accommodation in the Harvey Region for the visitor market.
Shire of Harvey President Paul Gillett said that the Trial would focus on attracting RV and caravan travellers that currently to bypass the Region to travel to areas offering free RV and caravan short-stay options.
The introduction of an RV Friendly Trial seeks to maximise sustainable economic benefits from RV and caravan tourism through increasing visitation numbers, increasing spending and extending the length of stay of RV and caravan travellers in the Harvey Region", Cr Gillett said.
The Trial will be closely monitored by Shire officers with an initial review due back to Council after six months".
The Trial only allows for self-contained RVs and caravans defined as motorised camping vehicles with internal sleeping accommodation, internal kitchen and dining facilities that carry their own internal water supply and have internal shower and toilet facilities."
The first step in the process is to assess each site and ensure they are user ready.
Cupie said
02:10 PM Jan 12, 2023
Interesting that grey water storage is not mentioned ..
Cuppa said
02:26 PM Jan 12, 2023
We have come across a site once before which similarly insisted on an internal shower.
Travelling as we do with an off road camper trailer we felt that the stipulation was quite unreasonable.
We can (& do) wash in miniscule amounts of water (less than 2" of water in an old 2 litre ice cream tub) using an old fashioned flannel, (or wet wipes when needed).
We create far less waste water than folk with built in showers & can contain those small amounts of water if needed
If we chose not to wash for the night (or two) we were at a camp what business is that of the local council?
Our view is that the rule is there to keep out the perceived 'riff-raff', & to attract those perceived as 'wealthier' by virtue of their more 'upmarket' choice of travelling rig.
It is discriminatory in our view & we all know that spending more on better equipped travel homes does not ensure their owners are better behaved as far as 'leaving no trace' goes.
-- Edited by Cuppa on Thursday 12th of January 2023 02:28:45 PM
Ivan 01 said
02:52 PM Jan 12, 2023
This sentence says it all.
The Trial only allows for self-contained RVs and caravans defined as motorised camping vehicles with internal sleeping accommodation, internal kitchen and dining facilities that carry their own internal water supply and have internal shower and toilet facilities."
The councillors are being very obvious in there decision not to encourage certain types of travelling accomodation. The more some complain the more the council might just want to stick to its guns.
I was in a regional centre in SA many years ago now and there was a local sporting club that offered short term accomodation at a low cost or maybe no cost to attract travellers to stay and shop in the town.
Due to what was claimed as unacceptable behaviour by a few the council in their wisdom denied those with campers and tents any overnight access. This subsequently attracted the usual wingers who believed that they were being discriminated against etc etc, so the council then had a closer look at the situation and subsequently restricted the use of the sites to only self contained motor homes and denied all caravans as well.
Unfortunately you cant please all of the people all of the time. Situations of what is and isnt acceptable may change as time goes on.
Cuppa said
07:54 PM Jan 12, 2023
Ivan 01 wrote:
This sentence says it all.
The Trial only allows for self-contained RVs and caravans defined as motorised camping vehicles with internal sleeping accommodation, internal kitchen and dining facilities that carry their own internal water supply and have internal shower and toilet facilities."
The councillors are being very obvious in there decision not to encourage certain types of travelling accomodation. The more some complain the more the council might just want to stick to its guns.
I was in a regional centre in SA many years ago now and there was a local sporting club that offered short term accomodation at a low cost or maybe no cost to attract travellers to stay and shop in the town.
Due to what was claimed as unacceptable behaviour by a few the council in their wisdom denied those with campers and tents any overnight access. This subsequently attracted the usual wingers who believed that they were being discriminated against etc etc, so the council then had a closer look at the situation and subsequently restricted the use of the sites to only self contained motor homes and denied all caravans as well.
Unfortunately you cant please all of the people all of the time. Situations of what is and isn't acceptable may change as time goes on.
The point is that unacceptable behaviours are not dictated by vehicle choice & decisions based on that belief are ignorant.
I have seen expensive motorhomes & caravans with grey water hoses running directly into rivers on many occasions, just as I have seen folk in much cheaper travelling rigs leave places better than they found them. It's about personal responsibility, not 'equipment'.
Worst was the large 6 berth high end motorhome with a 70 litre + grey water tank. After a few days camped in a lovely spot at Big Horse Creek roadside camp (Judbarra NP, NT), the last thing they did before leaving was to empty their stinking full grey water tank right where they had camped on the site before driving away.
Yes it is the prerogative of the camp site provider to make the rules, but to accept those rules without comment when the rules are based upon ignorant bias helps to reinforce that bias.
Similar thinking involved if they reckon that they can make more money from folk in more expensive rigs.
Gaylehere said
09:34 PM Jan 12, 2023
Just a by the by, if I remember correctly a lot of the Harvey Shire burnt out in the big bushfires back in 2016 or 2017. I know Yarloop was nearly destroyed. The beautiful Yarloop Steam Museum was fire ravaged. We had camped at a roadside stop just down the road surrounded by trees in 2015. I hope many will utilized these camping options. Cheers.
JeffRae said
09:52 PM Jan 12, 2023
I hope they are utilized as well Gaylhere.
The four sites selected are in great positions. The one in Australind is right on the Leschenault Estuary
RickJ said
10:55 PM Jan 12, 2023
Probably unfortunate for some but many council regulations for specialised free camps do place restrictions or bans on the *canvas* fraternity.
The term self contained is understood by almost all people who are travelling with caravans and motorhomes.
If some Cretan dumps his grey waste illegally then that is another matter and has nothing to do with those who do the right thing.
As with all laws and regulations it is expected that all will comply, but unfortunately some may not. Lack of compliance by a selfish few probably wont change the reasoning of those who set the rules in the first place.
Thank you for the heads up JeffRae as that information could be quite beneficial to travellers with equipment that will comply with council regs and those visitors will be of value to those areas particularly if the communities are on the rebuild from previous bush fires.
The vehicle must have installed and/or carry the necessary fit for purpose specifically manufactured equipment to be considered as self-contained. Water Supply
The vehicle shall have a fresh water tank or bladder specifically manufactured for the storage of potable water. This tank may be on-board (fitted) or external (non-fitted).
The fresh water tank should be of rigid construction with appropriate valves to prevent foreign matter or contaminants entering the tank.
When travelling it shall be securely fastened within the confines of the vehicle so as not to cause any hazard.
Sink/shower. The vehicle shall be fitted with an installed and plumbed sink. Additional sinks, hand basins and shower are optional. Every sink, hand basin or shower fitted shall be supplied with water from the fresh water tank, and shall be drained to a grey water tank.
External showers that are used for ablutionary purposes and in so doing create grey water would not comply. External water outlets used for rinsing or filling purposes are not seen as a grey water issue within the context of this policy. Grey Water
No grey water is to be discharged from a self-contained vehicle unless allowable by local authorities or access to a dump point is impractical.
Sinks, and where fitted hand basins and showers, shall be drained to either an on-board (fitted) grey water tank or an external (non-fitted) grey water tank (tote).
-- Edited by elliemike on Friday 13th of January 2023 06:04:33 PM
The vehicle must have installed and/or carry the necessary fit for purpose specifically manufactured equipment to be considered as self-contained. Water Supply
The vehicle shall have a fresh water tank or bladder specifically manufactured for the storage of potable water. This tank may be on-board (fitted) or external (non-fitted).
The fresh water tank should be of rigid construction with appropriate valves to prevent foreign matter or contaminants entering the tank.
When travelling it shall be securely fastened within the confines of the vehicle so as not to cause any hazard.
Sink/shower. The vehicle shall be fitted with an installed and plumbed sink. Additional sinks, hand basins and shower are optional. Every sink, hand basin or shower fitted shall be supplied with water from the fresh water tank, and shall be drained to a grey water tank.
External showers that are used for ablutionary purposes and in so doing create grey water would not comply. External water outlets used for rinsing or filling purposes are not seen as a grey water issue within the context of this policy. Grey Water
No grey water is to be discharged from a self-contained vehicle unless allowable by local authorities or access to a dump point is impractical.
Sinks, and where fitted hand basins and showers, shall be drained to either an on-board (fitted) grey water tank or an external (non-fitted) grey water tank (tote).
-- Edited by elliemike on Friday 13th of January 2023 06:04:33 PM
That is good self explanatory information but probably should also include the detail which continues on page 2 of that document.
Info as follows,
Liquid waste is not to be collected or removed in open buckets or containers.
Toilet
All black water is to be contained in holding tanks or cassettes, to be disposed of in a dump point or if no appropriate facility is available, in accordance with the CMCA Bush Camping Code.
The vehicle shall be equipped with a toilet, installed in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.
Portable toilets: These must be a proprietary brand portable toilet manufactured for the specific purpose.
When travelling, a portable toilet shall be securely fastened within the confines of the vehicle so as not to cause any
hazard.
Rubbish
A sealable refuse container to hold rubbish for disposal, be it of a permanent or disposable type in authorized disposal receptacles.
To qualify as a CMCA self-contained vehicle, the member vehicle shall meet the requirements of the SCVP.
Members who are satisfied their vehicles meets the SCVP may nominate their vehicle as self-contained on the CMCA website. Any nominated vehicle accessing a CMCA RV Park or other RV accommodation site limited to self-contained vehicles, will be required from time to time by the CMCA RV Park Custodian or other authorized person to demonstrate its ability to meet the SCVP.
Capacities:
While individual usage and discharge varies, it is advised that a vehicle should have capacities to retain all waste for a 3 day 72 hour period.
When I was trying to get accomodation for my van after TC Debbie it was a stipulation of the council in control that we had to have a functional shower as well as the toilet and other standard requirements before we were permitted to take up a temporary site.
I do think the regulating council, land owner or authority does have the final say.
-- Edited by elliemike on Friday 13th of January 2023 06:04:33 PM
That is good self explanatory information but probably should also include the detail which continues on page 2 of that document.
That's why I included the the CMCA document URL. so people could read the whole PDF Doc themselves.
Cuppa said
09:00 PM Jan 13, 2023
So even the CMCA accepts that a shower is optional, & that the absence of a shower does not make a vehicle unsuitable for a 'self contained site (as per their definition).
That does seem to show the discriminatory nature of sites which insist on people having a shower - as using the self contained ruling as a means of providing a site only for those perceived (often incorrectly) wealthier and more likely to spend money in the the town or shire.
Shire of Harvey Councillors have approved a 12-month Recreation Vehicle (RV) Friendly Trial offering free overnight short-stay rest areas to fully self-contained RV and caravan travellers.
The Trial, to commence in March 2023, includes offering a limited number of bays for free for up to 48 hours to RV and caravan travellers located in Australind, Brunswick, Harvey and Yarloop.
Council made the decision after it was presented with the outcomes from the Recreation Vehicle (RV) Friendly Trial Community Consultation Report. The report was the result of a comprehensive community consultation process. The move towards the implementation of a Trial was spurred on by the Harvey Region Strategic Report released in 2021. It highlighted a severe lack of accommodation in the Harvey Region for the visitor market.
Shire of Harvey President Paul Gillett said that the Trial would focus on attracting RV and caravan travellers that currently to bypass the Region to travel to areas offering free RV and caravan short-stay options.
The introduction of an RV Friendly Trial seeks to maximise sustainable economic benefits from RV and caravan tourism through increasing visitation numbers, increasing spending and extending the length of stay of RV and caravan travellers in the Harvey Region", Cr Gillett said.
The Trial will be closely monitored by Shire officers with an initial review due back to Council after six months".
The Trial only allows for self-contained RVs and caravans defined as motorised camping vehicles with internal sleeping accommodation, internal kitchen and dining facilities that carry their own internal water supply and have internal shower and toilet facilities."
The first step in the process is to assess each site and ensure they are user ready.
Interesting that grey water storage is not mentioned ..
We have come across a site once before which similarly insisted on an internal shower.
Travelling as we do with an off road camper trailer we felt that the stipulation was quite unreasonable.
We can (& do) wash in miniscule amounts of water (less than 2" of water in an old 2 litre ice cream tub) using an old fashioned flannel, (or wet wipes when needed).
We create far less waste water than folk with built in showers & can contain those small amounts of water if needed
If we chose not to wash for the night (or two) we were at a camp what business is that of the local council?
Our view is that the rule is there to keep out the perceived 'riff-raff', & to attract those perceived as 'wealthier' by virtue of their more 'upmarket' choice of travelling rig.
It is discriminatory in our view & we all know that spending more on better equipped travel homes does not ensure their owners are better behaved as far as 'leaving no trace' goes.
-- Edited by Cuppa on Thursday 12th of January 2023 02:28:45 PM
This sentence says it all.
The Trial only allows for self-contained RVs and caravans defined as motorised camping vehicles with internal sleeping accommodation, internal kitchen and dining facilities that carry their own internal water supply and have internal shower and toilet facilities."
The councillors are being very obvious in there decision not to encourage certain types of travelling accomodation. The more some complain the more the council might just want to stick to its guns.
I was in a regional centre in SA many years ago now and there was a local sporting club that offered short term accomodation at a low cost or maybe no cost to attract travellers to stay and shop in the town.
Due to what was claimed as unacceptable behaviour by a few the council in their wisdom denied those with campers and tents any overnight access.
This subsequently attracted the usual wingers who believed that they were being discriminated against etc etc, so the council then had a closer look at the situation and subsequently restricted the use of the sites to only self contained motor homes and denied all caravans as well.
Unfortunately you cant please all of the people all of the time. Situations of what is and isnt acceptable may change as time goes on.
The point is that unacceptable behaviours are not dictated by vehicle choice & decisions based on that belief are ignorant.
I have seen expensive motorhomes & caravans with grey water hoses running directly into rivers on many occasions, just as I have seen folk in much cheaper travelling rigs leave places better than they found them. It's about personal responsibility, not 'equipment'.
Worst was the large 6 berth high end motorhome with a 70 litre + grey water tank. After a few days camped in a lovely spot at Big Horse Creek roadside camp (Judbarra NP, NT), the last thing they did before leaving was to empty their stinking full grey water tank right where they had camped on the site before driving away.
Yes it is the prerogative of the camp site provider to make the rules, but to accept those rules without comment when the rules are based upon ignorant bias helps to reinforce that bias.
Similar thinking involved if they reckon that they can make more money from folk in more expensive rigs.
The four sites selected are in great positions. The one in Australind is right on the Leschenault Estuary
The term self contained is understood by almost all people who are travelling with caravans and motorhomes.
If some Cretan dumps his grey waste illegally then that is another matter and has nothing to do with those who do the right thing.
As with all laws and regulations it is expected that all will comply, but unfortunately some may not. Lack of compliance by a selfish few probably wont change the reasoning of those who set the rules in the first place.
Thank you for the heads up JeffRae as that information could be quite beneficial to travellers with equipment that will comply with council regs and those visitors will be of value to those areas particularly if the communities are on the rebuild from previous bush fires.
This is from the
CMCA Self Contained Vehicle (SCV) Policy https://cdn.cmca.net.au/cloud/f1782a7a-d1ee-430e-8484-c8036a0a94a5_SCVpolicy.pdf
5. POLICY
The vehicle must have installed and/or carry the necessary fit for purpose specifically manufactured equipment to be considered as self-contained. Water Supply
The vehicle shall have a fresh water tank or bladder specifically manufactured for the storage of potable water. This tank may be on-board (fitted) or external (non-fitted).
The fresh water tank should be of rigid construction with appropriate valves to prevent foreign matter or contaminants entering the tank.
When travelling it shall be securely fastened within the confines of the vehicle so as not to cause any hazard.
Sink/shower. The vehicle shall be fitted with an installed and plumbed sink. Additional sinks, hand basins and shower are optional. Every sink, hand basin or shower fitted shall be supplied with water from the fresh water tank, and shall be drained to a grey water tank.
External showers that are used for ablutionary purposes and in so doing create grey water would not comply. External water outlets used for rinsing or filling purposes are not seen as a grey water issue within the context of this policy. Grey Water
No grey water is to be discharged from a self-contained vehicle unless allowable by local authorities or access to a dump point is impractical.
Sinks, and where fitted hand basins and showers, shall be drained to either an on-board (fitted) grey water tank or an external (non-fitted) grey water tank (tote).
-- Edited by elliemike on Friday 13th of January 2023 06:04:33 PM
That is good self explanatory information but probably should also include the detail which continues on page 2 of that document.
Info as follows,
Liquid waste is not to be collected or removed in open buckets or containers.
Toilet
All black water is to be contained in holding tanks or cassettes, to be disposed of in a dump point or if no appropriate facility is available, in accordance with the CMCA Bush Camping Code.
The vehicle shall be equipped with a toilet, installed in accordance with the manufacturers instructions.
Portable toilets: These must be a proprietary brand portable toilet manufactured for the specific purpose.
When travelling, a portable toilet shall be securely fastened within the confines of the vehicle so as not to cause any
hazard.
Rubbish
A sealable refuse container to hold rubbish for disposal, be it of a permanent or disposable type in authorized disposal receptacles.
To qualify as a CMCA self-contained vehicle, the member vehicle shall meet the requirements of the SCVP.
Members who are satisfied their vehicles meets the SCVP may nominate their vehicle as self-contained on the CMCA website. Any nominated vehicle accessing a CMCA RV Park or other RV accommodation site limited to self-contained vehicles, will be required from time to time by the CMCA RV Park Custodian or other authorized person to demonstrate its ability to meet the SCVP.
Capacities:
While individual usage and discharge varies, it is advised that a vehicle should have capacities to retain all waste for a 3 day 72 hour period.
When I was trying to get accomodation for my van after TC Debbie it was a stipulation of the council in control that we had to have a functional shower as well as the toilet and other standard requirements before we were permitted to take up a temporary site.
I do think the regulating council, land owner or authority does have the final say.
So even the CMCA accepts that a shower is optional, & that the absence of a shower does not make a vehicle unsuitable for a 'self contained site (as per their definition).
That does seem to show the discriminatory nature of sites which insist on people having a shower - as using the self contained ruling as a means of providing a site only for those perceived (often incorrectly) wealthier and more likely to spend money in the the town or shire.