This article was prepared for Irwin Legal by Mr Anthony Aristei.
There are 1600 caravan parks and 1000 camping grounds/short stay accommodation in Western Australia.
The facilities provided by the operators of caravan parks and camping grounds to the WA public is significantly greater than what might be expected. Most of us are aware of at least one or two caravan parks (or may have passed some others while travelling either north, south or east).
The facts demonstrate the importance of caravan park and camping ground facilities to the wider public. Within the 1600 caravan parks across Australia, there is an aggregate of almost 160,000 temporary accommodation sites available in Western Australia (whether caravans, annexes or cabins) as of October 2024.
As for camping grounds, there are many accommodation sites throughout the South West, Mid West and North West of WA which provided year-round facilities for an average number of 1,915,000 persons in 2023. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the profitability of this industry has quickly been restored, with its financial position reported as resembling pre-pandemic performances.
As an individual or a member of a family, we perceive this style of accommodation as temporary or short-stay. We may decide to reside at a caravan park near Mandurah, Bunbury or Moore River for a long weekend (say Easter). The average length of such a short stay is 3-5 days for 2-4 people (whether a couple, group or a family).
Therefore, over the course of the year an individual or a family will spend approximately 1-2 weeks away from their ordinary residence for a holiday, with the average stay being 4.6 nights long. Yet, the reality is that the aggregate of caravan parks and camping grounds are occupied year-round throughout WA, constituting a significant portion of the WA population.
There is an estimated 80% annual occupancy rate for camping grounds and caravan parks, meaning that 50,000 people are being housed (or otherwise accommodated) and are receiving all related services (e.g. electricity, water and amenities) year-round.
If this aggregate population of individuals and families who inhabit caravan parks and camping grounds on an average year-round/annual basis was deemed to be its own ‘city’, it would rank as the 10th most populated city in WA and the 25th most populated in Australia. The camping population would therefore be larger than cities such as Broome, Esperance, Kalgoorlie, Margaret River, and Northam.
As with any other city, civil and criminal conflicts arise between either the individuals in the relevant community, the individuals and their shire or local council, or the shire/ local council and the WA government.
The caravan parks and camping grounds blog series will discuss WA's caravan and camping laws and explain the rights of guests, as well as other potential residential park issues.