2014-04-28 General Committee Meeting Agenda Pages 65-200

GENERAL COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                                     28 APRIL 2014


7.        ACCOMMODATING RECREATIONAL VEHICLES AND CAMPING IN NOOSA

Author              Strategic Planner, Anne Wilson
                    Strategic Land Use Planning
Index               ECM/ Project & Contract/ PP Planning Projects – PP-01 RVs Recreational
                    Vehicles
Attachment          1.    Infrastructure Charges Rebates for Community Organisations

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Mobile travellers in recreational vehicles are noted by the Campervan and Motorhome Club of
Australia as the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry in the nation. These mobile
travellers are quite diverse and include traditional “grey nomads”, freedom seekers, families,
independent travellers and backpackers.
Within Noosa, mobile travellers can access a selection of commercial tourist accommodation
parks and low cost, non-commercial camp areas.
Within the coastal area, including Tewantin, a number of travellers, particularly backpackers, are
utilising local parks, car parks and streets within the suburban and industrial areas that are not
approved for overnight camping activities. Numerous complaints have been received, with action
undertaken by staff to rectify the situation including installation of signage and increased patrols.
The non-commercial camp areas in the hinterland are managed by community groups and were
developed as an ancillary use to the Noosa Trail Network. In recent years the intensity and scale
of the camping being undertaken at these non-commercial camping areas has increased
significantly.
The State Government recently released the Queensland camping options toolkit; A guide for
local government in developing camping options, March 2014. The toolkit, amongst other things,
provides an example policy to accommodate overflow camping during peak periods.
This report outlines the issues relating to camping and accommodating recreational vehicles in
the Noosa area and seeks endorsement to implement actions, listed in the recommendations
below, to:
 Facilitate a reduction in the number of illegal campers within the Noosa coastal area; and
 Accommodate recreational vehicles (RV) and camping within the Noosa Hinterland.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Senior Strategic Planner to the General Committee Meeting
dated 28 April 2014 and;
A. Amend the “Infrastructure Charges Rebates for Community Organisations Policy” to enable
   community organisations undertaking an Open Space (Type 2) Camp Ground or Visitor
   Accommodation (Type 2) Caravan Park to be eligible for a rebate;
B. Authorise the provision of assistance to existing not for profit community groups operating
   camping grounds to lodge a material change of use application for assessment; and
C. Endorse the following actions to occur during the review of the Noosa Plan:
     1.     Review the appropriateness of the standard definitions relating to caravan parks and
            camping grounds, the level of assessment required for such uses within each zone, and
            review the Visitor Uses Code; and
     2.     Investigate provisions to enable existing caravan parks to expand their site capacities
            during peak seasons to allow for overflow.



                                                                                    Page 89 of 200