TOURISTS are opting against staying in a redeveloped Dimboola caravan park because of high fees.
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Hindmarsh Shire Council has upgraded the Dimboola Riverside Holiday Park, but will now move to lower the park’s fees to draw customers.
On Friday, council voted to decrease tariffs at the park after substantial negative feedback and a drop in visitor numbers.
Acting corporate and community services director Dean Gollan said despite the current fees being in line with similar parks, council must look at lowering costs.
“It seems the current tariffs are not convincing people to camp there, but rather go elsewhere,” he said.
“We need to look at lowering the prices and encouraging customers to come in.”
Dimboola Town Committee chairman Phil Colquhoun welcomed the move.
He said customers were put off by the current prices and the whole town suffered when the park was empty.
“People simply won’t stay if it’s too expensive,” he said.
“Especially not the grey nomads.
“They’ll go up the road and if we’ve got an empty park who’s paying for it?
“If you want to slow down your business, put your prices up.”
Mr Colquhoun said a full caravan park benefited the whole town.
“If someone stays a week and is based there, even if they travel out, they’re buying petrol before they go,” he said.
“Every time they come back they’re going down the street and buying a coffee, the newspaper, tea – everything.”
A report to council said the tariffs at the park had been inconsistent over time, with the current fees adopted in December 2015.
Council agreed to lower weekly and daily prices for everything but cabins.
Council said weekly tariffs would drop from $210 a week to $162 for a powered site and $132 to $120 a week for a non-powered site.
Daily prices will drop from $45 to $42 for a powered site with en-suite, $35 to $27 for a powered site and $22 to $20 for a non-powered site.
Council discussed creating seasonal rates, but decided to hold off on a decision until upgrades were complete.
Mr Colquhoun said he would rather prices were consistently low to fill the park.