Letter from Ian Bond

 

 

 

 

 

Above published September 3.

 

And his earlier effort of August 10 below.

 

 

MONDAYAUGUST6, 2OO7

 

..THEBAIRNSDALE

 

ADVERTISER''

 

EDITORIAL

 

Revolution
on the roads

 

The Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia
Ltd. (CMCA) has more than 49,000 members and is
the tip of a very large and lucrative iceberg. They say
a new tourism boom will explode across the country
in the next decade, as retiring baby boomers take to
the roads in self-contained vehicles.

 

The CMCA website warns local municipal authorities
to be ready. Regions with no facilities to service the
new breed of adventurers will lose their share of a
multi-billion dollar industry, fuelled by 100,000
vehicles capable of pushing into every corner of the
continent.

 

The predictions may seem exaggerated, as petrol
costs keep rising  and air travel becomes cheaper .But
the retirement demographic exhibits all the hallmarks
of a sub-culture to rival the tribes of teenagers and
young adults. The figures are astonishing.

 

CMCA says that in 2001 the first of 4.1 million baby
boomers retired. Most of the others will retire during
the next 20 years. "If one n 20 decides to buy a
self-contained vehicle and head off to see Australia
an additional 200,000 such vehicles with up to
400,000 occupants will hit the road. They will be
spending somewhere between $2 and $4 billion
annually."

 

CMCA is not talking about caravans towed by motor
cars, who require caravan parks providing water,
electricity and shower blocks. Self-contained
vehicles carry their own toilets, showers, laundries,
air-conditioning, fridges, solar panels, generators and
water tanks. Their owners can go bush for up to a
week in air-conditioned luxury and leave nothing
behind except tyre tracks.

With one proviso.

 Motorhomers need somewhere to dump their waste.
They require sites with toilets, fresh water tanks and
seven days a week access, and most importantly,
facilities for hygienic disposal of waste and rubbish
from kitchens, laundries, showers and toilets. Without
these facilities, motorhomers will never be seen.

 

We are warned

 

Local authorities, tourist operators and businesses
should heed these predictions. Self-contained
travellers have already identified the places to go and
East Gippsland is not one of them. SC vehicle owners
will not visit south-eastern Victoria because very few
dump points exist here.

 

SC vehicle owners are not so much on holiday as on
long-term safaris. They are aged between 55 and 70
years, and travel on average 175 days a year. More
than 80 per cent say they intend to keep going for 10
years or more.

 

Previously professionals from business ,engineering,
legal practices and the public service  are well
organised and stay in one place for two to four nights
depending on local facilities and the welcoming
attitude of local people. They spend about $385 per
vehicle on visits to towns, mainly on motoring needs,
fuel, pharmaceuticals, food and dining. An average
trip of 157 days sees them spend between $9,000 and

$10,000.

 

This newspaper believes East Gippsland lacks
facilities for this group of tourists. Accordingly very
few motorhomes pass through our region, and fewer
still can afford to stop, spend and explore our unique
scenery. We are warned that motorhomes will pass us
by until we provide the means for efficient and
appropriate disposal of waste.

 

 

Here are the first two responses as Letters to the Editor.
I stuck them on top to save you scrolling down.

Now we have another from Ian Bond, also placed at the top.

Ian Bond is getting a bit cheeky.
Now he too has a Letter of the Week
On top so you do not have to hunt.