Australia is home to a great many things. It is a culture of wide open wonderment, brimming with a unique animal kingdom and stunning visual ecosystem. It is this that draws tourists to the wide open Outback, this and of course that 80′s song from Men at Work. What a lot of people don’t realize is how big Australia is for the recreational vehicle culture. Every year, these roving motorized caravans make a pilgrimage to the land down under, board a ferry and bear the Bass Strait to visit the island of Tasmania. Amply boasting the title of Australia’s favorite vacation island, Tasmania has found an annual audience from those people who spend their lives within the walls of a motor home. Unfortunately for these people, a proposal made by the government of Tasmania may see the designated free camp grounds they depend on disappear.
News.com.au reported this week that the Tasmania has put in motion a proposed legislation that would rid the island of camp ground that do not charge fees. Directly, the 500,000 RV users that spend a staggering $2,000 yearly to travel to Tasmania have become outraged. A large portion of these travelers are retired and in the twilight of their years. In fact, they are known in Australia as “Grey Nomads” due to their respective age and willingness to travel. These people account for a good portion of not just Tasmania’s tourist revenue, but Australia as a whole. With the price to travel Tasmania already high and most Grey Nomads on a fixed income, they rely on free camp sites to keep them financially afloat. Since their trip to Tasmania generally lasts anywhere from three to six months, staying at caravan parks is far too expensive.
One representative of the camper community of Australia believes if Tasmania pushes through the elimination of free camp grounds, it will lose millions of dollars in revenue. It is easy to see the other side of the coin on this. Tasmania wants to increase their yearly monetary intake, that’s good business, but taking away from those that pump into the economy has never been proven to be good business. Yes, a good portion will submit and pay the fees to camp overnight, but how will the income suffer from those many who will avoid Tasmania all together? How many small businesses who depend on tourism suffer?
Stepping outside the situation, it is hard to see an upside to something that has already angered so many just with a suggestion. The Grey Nomads of Australia are talking about a boycott. With nowhere else to be, they could theoretically camp out in a picket line for the rest of their lives. How would that effect everything in Australia? At the same time, the owners of paid caravan sites have filed complaints with the government over the offering of low fee and free camp sites. The current system hurts them the way the new one would hurt small shops and restaurants if tourism left. Is that the government’s fault that these camp owners can’t find a good medium between fair price and what people are more willing to pay to stay? The government has said they would review all of this before coming to a decision, but no matter which side they choose, there will be backlash from the other. It’s which will hurt the economy more that will theoretically win.
Tyler Baker; OSM Writer
( Source : News.com.au )
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