Batlow Makes Its Mark As RV Friendly Town
Published on 25 May 2018
The township of Batlow has been recognized as an official ‘RV Friendly Town’ by the Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia (CMCA).
Snowy Valleys Council Mayor James Hayes said achieving the ‘RV Friendly Town’ status for Batlow was a great example of a community/Council partnership.
“We heard from the Batlow community as part of our SV2028 Community Engagement that tourists and visitors were high on their agenda, and the many unique and beautiful offerings of our region will make Batlow an ideal location for travellers to stop and stay for a while. This will all add to the economic sustainability and liveability of the town,” Cr Hayes said.
Council has entered into an agreement with the CMCA to allow street parking for recreational vehicles adjacent to the shopping precinct at Pioneer St and Memorial Ave, and to allow up to 96 hours of free overnight parking for self-contained motorhomes at the Batlow showground.
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.
Cr Hayes said Council worked closely with the Batlow community and Batlow Development League to implement infrastructure to support the accreditation such as an RV dump point and short and long term overnight parking.
The self-contained RV tourism market is estimated to be worth more than $2.5 billion annually according to the CMCA, and the Batlow township is now poised to take full advantage of the lucrative self-contained recreational vehicle market.
The number of registered RVs in Australia is expected to grow to more than 700,000 vehicles by 2020. And as more baby boomers enter the market, regional Australia in particular, is expected to benefit.
“We have seen how successful the RV Friendly Town accreditation has been for Adelong and Tumbarumba and now with the Batlow recognition Snowy Valleys’ local businesses and the wider region is in an excellent position to reap the benefits,” Cr Hayes said.