❓ Mr Castrilli asks about affordable camping in WA national parks. The Minister for Environment details the Parks for People program and upgrades to Martins Tank and Wharncliffe Mill, emphasizing affordability and accessibility.
AnsweredQoN 32Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
NATIONAL
PARKS — AFFORDABLE CAMPING FACILITIES
32. Mr
G.M. CASTRILLI to the Minister for Environment:
Could the minister please provide an update to the house on
the Liberal–National government's commitment to provide more
affordable camping facilities in Western Australia's beautiful national
parks?
PARKS — AFFORDABLE CAMPING FACILITIES
32. Mr
G.M. CASTRILLI to the Minister for Environment:
Could the minister please provide an update to the house on
the Liberal–National government's commitment to provide more
affordable camping facilities in Western Australia's beautiful national
parks?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for Bunbury for the question. Members will
have heard in the Premier's address earlier this week that the key
focus of the Liberal–National government's investment of a
significant amount of funds in the environment portfolio is the $40.7 million
program Parks for People, and the ''Western Australia Caravan and
Camping Action Plan 2013–2018''. This whole program is about providing
more opportunities to Western Australian families—indeed, all Western
Australians—to experience and enjoy holidays at home in affordable and
accessible accommodation in our spectacular natural environment. I had the
opportunity to open two upgraded facilities in recent weeks. The first of these
was in Yalgorup National Park, being the new Martins Tank camp. It has existed
for a long time, but it has recently been significantly upgraded. Yalgorup
National Park sits 100 kilometres south of the Perth CBD, so it is very
accessible for a large percentage of our population. People can pop down and
have an overnight camping trip at Martins Tank. We have doubled the size of
that camp site to 34 sites, including eight new individual tent sites. Those
sites are better designed so that campers have their own isolated pockets and
are not stacked up on top of each other. We also have four large group camp
sites, a camp kitchen, two communal fire pits and two new toilets. The Minister
for Tourism will also be interested to know that for the first time Martins
Tank has specific sites for caravans and camper trailers. We can see a
different design element in almost all these sites we are rolling out, particularly along the south west and in the
midwest.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
thank the member for that interjection; it certainly has had a lot of support
through the royalties for regions program. One particular design element of the
Martins Tank camp site is the communal fire pits. They are very accessible, but
we can lock and close them during bushfire season so that people using the camp
site know not to light fires during bushfire season. That has not been a common
feature of our camp sites in the past.
The other camp site I had the opportunity to open is at
Wharncliffe Mill just near Margaret River. It has been upgraded to include 44
new bush camping and caravan sites, four new lodge rooms, a range of
two-bedroom cottages and new ablution facilities. Wharncliffe Mill is an old
timber mill site located a couple of kilometres outside Margaret River. For
members who know the area well, it is accessed from Carters Road through the
karri forest. The site is only two kilometres walking distance from the
Margaret River township, but it is in the middle of the forest. This is about
an affordable price point that all Western Australians can enjoy with a
high-quality experience. Margaret River is not the most affordable area for
accommodation in this state anymore. Now anyone can enjoy a holiday in Margaret
River by using the Wharncliffe Mill Bush Retreat.
Through this program we are facilitating increased access in
a managed and appropriate way to our national parks and nature reserves. It not
only gives all Western Australians a chance to enjoy affordable holidays in our
state, but also increases awareness of our unique biodiversity and appreciation
of the magnificent natural assets across the state.
have heard in the Premier's address earlier this week that the key
focus of the Liberal–National government's investment of a
significant amount of funds in the environment portfolio is the $40.7 million
program Parks for People, and the ''Western Australia Caravan and
Camping Action Plan 2013–2018''. This whole program is about providing
more opportunities to Western Australian families—indeed, all Western
Australians—to experience and enjoy holidays at home in affordable and
accessible accommodation in our spectacular natural environment. I had the
opportunity to open two upgraded facilities in recent weeks. The first of these
was in Yalgorup National Park, being the new Martins Tank camp. It has existed
for a long time, but it has recently been significantly upgraded. Yalgorup
National Park sits 100 kilometres south of the Perth CBD, so it is very
accessible for a large percentage of our population. People can pop down and
have an overnight camping trip at Martins Tank. We have doubled the size of
that camp site to 34 sites, including eight new individual tent sites. Those
sites are better designed so that campers have their own isolated pockets and
are not stacked up on top of each other. We also have four large group camp
sites, a camp kitchen, two communal fire pits and two new toilets. The Minister
for Tourism will also be interested to know that for the first time Martins
Tank has specific sites for caravans and camper trailers. We can see a
different design element in almost all these sites we are rolling out, particularly along the south west and in the
midwest.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
Mr A.P. JACOB : I
thank the member for that interjection; it certainly has had a lot of support
through the royalties for regions program. One particular design element of the
Martins Tank camp site is the communal fire pits. They are very accessible, but
we can lock and close them during bushfire season so that people using the camp
site know not to light fires during bushfire season. That has not been a common
feature of our camp sites in the past.
The other camp site I had the opportunity to open is at
Wharncliffe Mill just near Margaret River. It has been upgraded to include 44
new bush camping and caravan sites, four new lodge rooms, a range of
two-bedroom cottages and new ablution facilities. Wharncliffe Mill is an old
timber mill site located a couple of kilometres outside Margaret River. For
members who know the area well, it is accessed from Carters Road through the
karri forest. The site is only two kilometres walking distance from the
Margaret River township, but it is in the middle of the forest. This is about
an affordable price point that all Western Australians can enjoy with a
high-quality experience. Margaret River is not the most affordable area for
accommodation in this state anymore. Now anyone can enjoy a holiday in Margaret
River by using the Wharncliffe Mill Bush Retreat.
Through this program we are facilitating increased access in
a managed and appropriate way to our national parks and nature reserves. It not
only gives all Western Australians a chance to enjoy affordable holidays in our
state, but also increases awareness of our unique biodiversity and appreciation
of the magnificent natural assets across the state.
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