COOROY RAG NEWSPAPER Community
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Email: editorial@cooroyrag.com.au
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5485 2200 LOOKING TO BUY - SEE PAGES 18+19
February 14, 2018
Busting to get the toilets open COUNCIL’S decision to leave the management of the Cooroy RV Park as is has Doug Claydon tearing his hair out in frustration about what he says is pure incompetence by those who are “there to look after Ratepayers’ best interests”. Doug, along with ex Councillor Ray Kelly, have been lobbying Council to save our RV Park from becoming a red herring that could end up being shut down. Both Doug and Ray are seasoned caravanners who have collated information from hundreds of similar operations around Australia that are operating successfully but say they have all but been ignored by Council. “We have thousands of caravanners visit the hinterland every year,” says Doug. “There’s absolutely no reason that the Cooroy RV Park can’t be successful. The tremendous opportunity, not only for the Cooroy business community, but in fact for the whole hinterland, is being lost. It could be a real asset for our community and could be run on a neutral cost to council basis.” To date the RV Park is in the red by approximately $40,000 and growing. “The fact is that it was Council’s decision to pay third party management at a cost of $18,500 per annum plus 50 per cent of the takings – an obviously inefficient management plan, if there ever was one, and also their decision to leave it that way, that is running at a loss costing ratepayers money even more,” said Doug. At the end of last year Council called for Expressions of Interest for the management of the Park. All submissions were rejected and at this stage they have decided to leave the running of it as is. Doug and Ray have also been lobbying Council to have the ablution block at the car club unlocked for visitors to have access to toilets and showers. They believe this is vital to the success of the Stop Over. “The lack of amenities is something that is lamented on travellers’ websites such as greynomad.com and wikicamps.com Caretaker Dave, who has been collecting shopping dockets from visitors, says the monthly spend by visitors at businesses in the area has dropped by more than 30 per cent and attributes this to the declining number of visitors because of the Stopover’s lack of amenities. “If the amenities block is not up to standard, as Council is saying, then why is it standard enough for the car club, the pony club, and the general public at large who attend events for these clubs? Why is it good enough for locals but not for visitors? It doesn’t make any sense. The park will never be cost neutral unless the ablution block is unlocked. “And why is Council paying $18,500 a year plus 50% of the take to a third party manager when we have a very capable, respected and effective caretaker on site who collects the fees already (at no charge). What does the $18,500 cover? Council does all the mowing, and the little bit of maintenance that’s needed, and Dave collects the money from visitors? All the manager is being paid for is to take the bookings (unless they come directly to the park) and collect the money from Dave to bank. “If Council is concerned about the RV Park costing ratepayers money, then they have no-one to blame but themselves. To my mind they are definitely not doing their job – which is to look after the best interests of the ratepayers. “Unlock the toilet block, have a user pays system or increase the nightly stopover fee slightly to pay for any upgrade if needed, and stop paying ridiculous management fees for nothing. “We ask for a meeting with Council to sort out the issues and get this amenity up and running as it should be and take advantage of the abundant opportunities that so many other towns enjoy.
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