Gunnedah Shire Council, having recently gained "RV Friendly" status, has on Friday last, locked the gates to not only large motorhomes that cannot fit into the privately owned caravan park in town, but also locked the gates on caravanners and campers, looking for a cheaper alternative camp site for the night at the Showgrounds in South Street Gunnedah. They have also locked out access to the only dump point for black and grey water tanks to be pumped out.
Officers of Council visited each camper on Friday, handing out letters to vacate their sites by January 8 2012, and saying they didn't care where they went, as long as it was off the showground area, by the due date.
Does this sound like an "RV Friendly" town. I think not.
Campers are also being discouraged from camping in an area known as Donnelly Fields, which is by the shady Namoi riverside. Council is fencing off the area to all traffic, including campers. This area has been widely known for as long back as edition two of Camps Australia Wide.
Does this sound like an "RV Friendly", I think not.
There are no long vehicle parking areas for the travelling public close to the CBD, leaving travellers with a walk of several blocks in to town to get supplies, or a meal. There is an area, adjacent to Coles supermarket that would be ideal for long vehicles, with the erection of "long vehicle only" signage, however on approach to Council on this matter, the writer was told that it was not warrented. Again, let me say, is this an "RV Friendly"town.
Please review your RV friendly status of this not so RV friendly town.
Yours faithfully
Gunnedah Galahs
goinsoon said
04:15 PM Dec 18, 2011
Ah! well that is just one more town for us to bypass, just put it togeather with Inverell, they are playing the same games
Gerty Dancer said
05:37 PM Dec 18, 2011
I wonder what has happened in the town to cause them to become so RV Unfriendly?
ken thomas said
05:40 PM Dec 18, 2011
Thats the approach we all must take,if they cant provide for us then bypass and then let the local traders take on the council as they are the ones that will miss out.
RV friendly ???? sounds like Echuca, no dump point for travellers unless you use the council caravan park and pay $10 Ken
Ma said
05:49 PM Dec 18, 2011
There are plenty more towns that would be appreciative of our dollars. It's Inverell and Gunnedah's loss.
jimricho said
07:25 PM Dec 18, 2011
The CMCA is responsible for the RV Friendly scheme so it is appropriate that you have brought this to their attention.
In Inverell's case the closing down of the Showground as a budget caravan park was a result of non-compliance by the Showground Trust. Maybe that is the case in Gunnedah. Letters to the local visitor/tourism committee centre may also be appropriate, also the local paper.
I don't know whether this applies or not but Gunnedah is undergoing a boom in the expansion of the coal mines in the area and perhaps the free camping sites are being "hogged" by those who are coming to the area to work in the mines setting up long term camps. Some of these folk may not be as environmentally conscientious as we members of this forum are.
Narrabri is an hour or so drive north and seems to be RV friendly both "officially" and in fact. I stay in the council owned and operated "Big Sky" park when passing through Narrabri. They have drive-thru sites that would take the largest of motor homes, it is very conveniently located in the centre of town.
-- Edited by jimricho on Sunday 18th of December 2011 10:33:47 PM
valnrob said
08:04 AM Dec 19, 2011
Not sure if this has anything to do with the situation there but we were staying at the small Council run park next to the showgrounds a few weeks ago and one of the large electrical transformers blew up and was on fire at the showgrounds. There were a couple of large rigs staying there.
jimbo said
09:01 AM Dec 19, 2011
Just sent another email off to this mob......Telling them a few home truths about bludging councils........Of course I called myself Billeeeeeeeee Ha Ha ha !
Bur seriously these towns need a solid reminder that this just causes trouble for their towns....The councils forget the help they recieved during their troubles last year.......This is how we are thanked
Ma said
12:16 PM Dec 19, 2011
I just had an email from a friend of ours who has been staying at the Gunnedah Showgrounds.
He and all the others there were given their "letter" with no explanations to vacate. He said the attitude of the bloke delivering the letters certainly wasn't very cordial.
There is a caravan park at Gunnedah but at $31 per night he finds this a bit out of his budget. They don't even have a discount if you stay for seven days.
He has now moved to Narrabri showgrounds. He says the Big Sky van park is pretty good. The owner Col is a great bloke even if he doesn't wear shoes.....:
beiffe said
12:49 PM Dec 19, 2011
He must be fine if he doesn't wear shoes. Always a sign of a man who can be trusted (says he who never wears shoes).
Shows he keeps his prices down to just cover essentials like grog and tools. HE HE
Regards Brian
aussietraveller said
05:03 PM Dec 19, 2011
I am convinced that a significant number if councils just dont think or if they do its only about justifying their own existence, the towns mentioned in earlier posts must be financially well off not to believe there is a benefit to welcoming caravanner's. I am sure local business would not agree. Although we may look for a free camp or a cheap camp-site we still spend on food, fuel and sightseeing seems a very short sighted approach to me lets hope they wake up before its too late.
jimbo said
06:14 PM Dec 19, 2011
This Mob are not going to be happy with my email direct to that Caravan park at $31 per night.....I never mention I am a Grey Nomads by the way.....Do councils have more than a passing interest in Caravan parks..Meaning do some of the fat Cats own them.......Anybody know the law on this one
milo said
07:01 PM Dec 19, 2011
why do they charge so much, just for a patch of dirt?
jimricho said
07:10 PM Dec 19, 2011
Ma wrote:He has now moved to Narrabri showgrounds. He says the Big Sky van park is pretty good. The owner Col is a great bloke even if he doesn't wear shoes.....:
Yes I remember now that his dress was "casual" (note the absence of the word "smart") He normally doesn't allocate sites, you just help yourself to whatever's available but I was travelling in convoy with friends and he set aside two adjacent sites for us and put some cones on them to reserve them for our arrival.
It's only a short walk to the RSL where there is an excellent proper sit down take your order at the table restaurant.
jimbo said
10:19 PM Dec 19, 2011
We Bombard these caravan Parks and Councils Like it was Bagdad..........No let up...The cowards never return an answer.............We are of a Generation that stands up for our rights are we not? Not like the younger Generation who are too scared to sneeze at these fat cats and let Govt run all over them.....My step son and his wife are like that Don't want to upset the apple cart......I say Buggar the apple cart Tip it over........
Turtle Trekers said
08:12 AM Dec 20, 2011
Good morning
jimricho's comment regarding coal mining in the Gunnedah area could very well be on the mark! There is an article in this month's edition of The Senior newspaper about the lack of casual accommodation in a lot of mining towns around the country. In particular those travellers who utilise motels and cabins - these facilities are 'block booked' for the very large fly-in / fly-out workers and that the only availability is on the weekends. I would also agree that there would be a lot of 'camping' workers that would not look after their surrounding areas as well as the majority of grey nomads - more is the pity!
It is a shame that the retail outlets in these towns are missing out on our dollars as we know (first hand) that there is a lot of hard work involved in a town becoming RV friendly.
Louise and Alan
Gerty Dancer said
08:20 AM Dec 20, 2011
Thanks for that Turtle Trekkers, it explains a lot. The fly-in fly-out system does nothing for the local community, they outsource their groceries/fuel which is flown in too, the rentals become huge, and they lose a few services such as the local one-and-only taxi who can no longer afford to live in his small town. Its sad.
Oh well theres plenty of other places.
sandsmere said
09:34 AM Dec 20, 2011
CMCA are at present in negotiations with the Gunnedah Council re the RVFT status .
It may be cancelled if they continue to ignore the travelling publics needs .
This email was sent to the CMCA
Gunnedah Shire Council, having recently gained "RV Friendly" status, has on Friday last, locked the gates to not only large motorhomes that cannot fit into the privately owned caravan park in town, but also locked the gates on caravanners and campers, looking for a cheaper alternative camp site for the night at the Showgrounds in South Street Gunnedah. They have also locked out access to the only dump point for black and grey water tanks to be pumped out.
Officers of Council visited each camper on Friday, handing out letters to vacate their sites by January 8 2012, and saying they didn't care where they went, as long as it was off the showground area, by the due date.
Does this sound like an "RV Friendly" town. I think not.
Campers are also being discouraged from camping in an area known as Donnelly Fields, which is by the shady Namoi riverside. Council is fencing off the area to all traffic, including campers. This area has been widely known for as long back as edition two of Camps Australia Wide.
Does this sound like an "RV Friendly", I think not.
There are no long vehicle parking areas for the travelling public close to the CBD, leaving travellers with a walk of several blocks in to town to get supplies, or a meal. There is an area, adjacent to Coles supermarket that would be ideal for long vehicles, with the erection of "long vehicle only" signage, however on approach to Council on this matter, the writer was told that it was not warrented. Again, let me say, is this an "RV Friendly"town.
Please review your RV friendly status of this not so RV friendly town.
Yours faithfully
Gunnedah Galahs
Ah! well that is just one more town for us to bypass, just put it togeather with Inverell, they are playing the same games
RV friendly ???? sounds like Echuca, no dump point for travellers unless you use the council caravan park and pay $10
Ken
There are plenty more towns that would be appreciative of our dollars. It's Inverell and Gunnedah's loss.
The CMCA is responsible for the RV Friendly scheme so it is appropriate that you have brought this to their attention.
In Inverell's case the closing down of the Showground as a budget caravan park was a result of non-compliance by the Showground Trust. Maybe that is the case in Gunnedah. Letters to the local visitor/tourism committee centre may also be appropriate, also the local paper.
I don't know whether this applies or not but Gunnedah is undergoing a boom in the expansion of the coal mines in the area and perhaps the free camping sites are being "hogged" by those who are coming to the area to work in the mines setting up long term camps. Some of these folk may not be as environmentally conscientious as we members of this forum are.
Narrabri is an hour or so drive north and seems to be RV friendly both "officially" and in fact. I stay in the council owned and operated "Big Sky" park when passing through Narrabri. They have drive-thru sites that would take the largest of motor homes, it is very conveniently located in the centre of town.
-- Edited by jimricho on Sunday 18th of December 2011 10:33:47 PM
Just sent another email off to this mob......Telling them a few home truths about bludging councils........Of course I called myself Billeeeeeeeee Ha Ha ha !
Bur seriously these towns need a solid reminder that this just causes trouble for their towns....The councils forget the help they recieved during their troubles last year.......This is how we are thanked
I just had an email from a friend of ours who has been staying at the Gunnedah Showgrounds.
He and all the others there were given their "letter" with no explanations to vacate. He said the attitude of the bloke delivering the letters certainly wasn't very cordial.
There is a caravan park at Gunnedah but at $31 per night he finds this a bit out of his budget. They don't even have a discount if you stay for seven days.
He has now moved to Narrabri showgrounds. He says the Big Sky van park is pretty good. The owner Col is a great bloke even if he doesn't wear shoes.....:
Shows he keeps his prices down to just cover essentials like grog and tools. HE HE
Regards
Brian
This Mob are not going to be happy with my email direct to that Caravan park at $31 per night.....I never mention I am a Grey Nomads by the way.....Do councils have more than a passing interest in Caravan parks..Meaning do some of the fat Cats own them.......Anybody know the law on this one
It's only a short walk to the RSL where there is an excellent proper sit down take your order at the table restaurant.
jimricho's comment regarding coal mining in the Gunnedah area could very well be on the mark! There is an article in this month's edition of The Senior newspaper
about the lack of casual accommodation in a lot of mining towns around the country. In particular those travellers who utilise motels and cabins - these facilities are 'block booked' for the very large fly-in / fly-out workers and that the only availability is on the weekends. I would also agree that there would be a lot of 'camping' workers that would not look after their surrounding areas as well as the majority of grey nomads - more is the pity!
It is a shame that the retail outlets in these towns are missing out on our dollars as we know (first hand) that there is a lot of hard work involved in a town becoming RV friendly.
Louise and Alan
Thanks for that Turtle Trekkers, it explains a lot. The fly-in fly-out system does nothing for the local community, they outsource their groceries/fuel which is flown in too, the rentals become huge, and they lose a few services such as the local one-and-only taxi who can no longer afford to live in his small town. Its sad.
Oh well theres plenty of other places.
CMCA are at present in negotiations with the Gunnedah Council re the RVFT status .
It may be cancelled if they continue to ignore the travelling publics needs .