Officials, tourists could be housed in caravans, cabins during Commonwealth Games

The government is considering housing Commonwealth Games tourists, staff and officials in caravans and cabins in regional Victoria as fears grow there won’t be enough beds.

The government could encourage manufacturers to make caravans for hire in regional centres to tourists, Games staff and volunteers.

Commonwealth Games tourists and staff could be put into caravans and cabins to solve a looming tourist accommodation crisis for the major event.

The Saturday Herald Sun can reveal the state is working on a plan to boost portable accommodation at the Games spread across regional Victoria.

There have been fears across communities that tourists will not have enough beds to stay in when they arrive in the state.

Hotels have been reluctant to build new rooms to house an influx in visitors for the fortnight in 2026 when events are held.

The government is now looking to the caravan and holiday park sector as a way to provide accommodation and this could includes high-end caravan models.

This could include encouraging manufacturers or retailers to make caravans available for hire in regional centres to tourists, workers, volunteers and other officials.

Caravan and holiday parks could be upgraded while showgrounds and other spaces could also be opened up to provide space.

It’s understood the government is also considering using the lucrative market to boost attendance at the Games.

With fears there will not be enough beds for tourists when they descend on the state for the Commonwealth Games, the government is looking to the caravan and holiday sector.

Grey nomads and other traveller groups could be lured to sell more tickets to sporting events and provide volunteers to help events run smoothly.

Sean Jenner, chief executive of the holiday park chain Big 4, said its camping grounds provided a “strong breadth” of accommodation including fully-equipped one, two and three-bedroom cabins.

He said each Big 4 site was owned independently so it would be up to individuals to decide the roles they played.

“I would expect that a lot of our parks would, if they hadn’t already, be in discussions about what role they could play in the Commonwealth Games,” he said.

Mr Jenner said an example of the Big 4 working with the government on accommodation options was during Covid-19 lockdowns, when Big 4 Melbourne in Coburg was used for quarantine due to spare capacity.

A complicating factor could be school holidays, when the Big 4 sites are usually booked up and at capacity, and when the Commonwealth Games will be held in 2026.

Work is already underway to build athletes’ villages for the Commonwealth Games which could then be converted to affordable and social housing.

But the industry has previously urged Victoria to better tap into the caravan market for other visitors, with demand in the sector booming after Covid.

It is estimated close to 96 per cent of the nation’s caravans are made in the state and wait times for buyers have blown out from weeks to at least a year.

Victorian Council of Social Services chief executive Emma King said the government should also intervene to protect vulnerable people during the influx of visitors.

“In all but name, caravan parks form a critical part of Victoria’s support network for people fleeing danger and homelessness,” she said.

“As caravan parks fill with tradies, games officials and tourists, vulnerable people will be squeezed out.”

Originally published as Officials, tourists could be housed in caravans, cabins during Commonwealth Games