General News
10 October, 2023
Cobden declared RV Friendly
COBDEN has another feather in its cap with the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) officially declaring Cobden as an RV Friendly Town.
COBDEN has another feather in its cap with the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA) officially declaring Cobden as an RV Friendly Town.
By creating a partnership between recreational vehicle (RV) tourists and the towns they visit, CMCA aims to maximise the value of self-contained RV tourists to both metropolitan and regional Australia.
In order to qualify for the program, towns must successfully meet the needs of self-contained RV travellers and satisfy key criteria including access to a general shopping area, provision of appropriate low cost overnight parking for self-contained vehicles, and access to potable water and a free dump point
With these amenities in place, RV tourists can access any RV Friendly Town in the knowledge they will be welcomed and well looked after.
In return, CMCA supports all towns with RV Friendly status through promotion to CMCA members and the broader self-contained RV community.
According to CMCA chairman Nelson Crawshaw, the CMCA RV Friendly Town network makes a significant contribution to the RV Tourism market in Australia.
“As the value of RV tourism becomes widely accepted, CMCA has more than 350 towns across Australia with RV Friendly status,” he said.
Mr Crawshaw said the CMCA RV Friendly Town network is one of a number of CMCA initiatives providing accommodation options for self-contained RV travellers, the fastest growing segment of the RV tourism market.
Responding to the CMCA announcement both Progressing Cobden and the Cobden Golf Club were enthusiastic about the significance of Cobden’s acceptance into the RV Friendly Town network.
Cobden Golf Club director Trevor Gardner said the groundwork put in over a number of years to achieve this goal had now reaped its rewards.
“This will be the start of a new tourist market for Cobden,” he said.
“This puts Cobden on a new map for tourists due to the extensive resources of CMCA.
“With self-contained campers and motorhomes having a base in Cobden we can expect to see visitors staying for multiple nights and boosting our economy.”
Mr Gardner said the achievement of RV Friendly status for Cobden was a direct result of the establishment of a partnership between the Golf Club and Progressing Cobden.
Progressing Cobden’s Kelvin White endorsed Mr Gardner’s comments.
“This is the culmination of a process started by Cobden Golf Club and willingly joined by Progressing Cobden,” he said.
“The outcome is a great result for our town and for the whole region.”
Mr White said Progressing Cobden has been working hard to promote Cobden and district to visitors.
“After establishing a Visitor Information Centre in Cobden, firstly at the roadhouse and more recently in Curdie Street, and then proceeding with the installation of a dump point in Cobden for travellers’ use, we had established a sound infrastructure for tourists,” he said.
“Adding a Free Camp Park in Bond Street was a logical step to take in partnership with the Golf Club.”
Mr White and Mr Gardner acknowledged the substantial support provided by Beach Energy in enabling the establishment of the Free Camp Park.
“Without the support from Beach Energy this dream would still be unrealised,” they said.
For Cobden, joining the RV Friendly Town network is expected to deliver direct benefits to the local business community.
The town will be promoted to RV travellers across Australia through the CMCA club magazine The Wanderer, and through the CMCA website and social media.
With the self-contained RV tourism market estimated to be worth more than $2.5 billion annually, Cobden is now well-positioned to access this lucrative tourism market.
Find out more about the CMCA RV Friendly Town network and other CMCA initiatives, visit the CMCA website www.cmca.net.au.