Straddie small businesses brace for campsite closures at Dunwich

The closure of two camp sites over Christmas on North Stradbroke Island has angered businesses, but many are too afraid to speak out on the ‘very political’ issue.

Campsites at Dunwich will close for Christmas which has angered some Dunwich businesses.

The closure of two camping sites over Christmas on Minjerribah North Stradbroke Island has upset a group of small businesses in Dunwich.

Dunwich business owners said they expected a 20 per cent drop in turnover because of the closures of campsites at Adams Beach and Bradbury’s Beach over the Christmas peak.

But the managers and owners of the campsites said only 1 per cent of the camping businesses would be affected.

Long-time island businessman Jim Campbell said a group of 10 Dunwich business owners had privately expressed their disappointment about the closures but were too afraid to speak out publicly.

Mr Campbell, who has operated his Straddie Supa Sports store in Dunwich for more than 30 years, said he estimated his turnover to drop by between 20 per cent to 30 per cent compared to the usual Christmas trading period.

Straddie Super Sports at Dunwich is one of the businesses that benefits from campsites at Dunwich.

“Nobody has asked me if I have had a bumper year – I’ve been one of the longest here and I’ve seen the ups and I’ve seen the downs and I’ve been here when they have closed the camping grounds before,” Mr Campbell said.

“I’ve noticed a massive difference in take when they shut them down and we are probably expecting somewhere between 20 per cent and 30 per cent down this year.

“It has been an unusual year in terms of turnover – starting from having difficulties in getting supplies to now having an unexpected closure of the campsites.

“Other people may have experienced a bumper year – but we will definitely be impacted by the closure of these grounds.”

One business owner, who has been operating a shop in Dunwich for four years, said he felt helpless after hearing campgrounds at Bradbury’s Beach and Adams Beach would close over Christmas.

“I don’t want to speak out as it is very political and it won’t change the situation but it will be a loss for all businesses not just one,” he said.

Minjerribah Camping office on North Stradbroke Island, is still taking bookings but not for Adams Beach or Bradbury’s sites.

Minjerribah Camping, which takes bookings for the campsites on the island, said the two campgrounds at Dunwich had to close for “significant construction” works but all other campgrounds were fully booked and operating over Christmas.

Bradbury’s Beach where camping is on hold over Christmas.

Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation chief executive Cameron Costello said the decision to close the two sites was financial and said December was the only time the maintenance could be completed after COVID delayed works during the off-season.

He said QYAC did not accept it was the sole reason businesses would face a tough time over Christmas as the closure of the two Dunwich grounds would only affect 33 campers, 30 of whom had been reallocated camping sites on the island.

“From November to January, we have 3600 bookings and we only had to move 33 campers because of the closure of the sites so 30 of them have been moved so the other grounds,” Mr Costello said.

“Three who have not been moved make up less than 1 per cent of the business.

“Trying to make Minjerribah Camping the whipping boy for local businesses to blame is unfair.

“A lot of the businesses complaining are the ones who were saying that without mining the economy would go under but now they are screaming about tourism.

“Is the loss of 33 campers over three months really going to impact on their business?”

Chamber of Commerce president Colin Battersby

Chamber of Commerce president Colin Battersby said four previous governments had said tourism would be the island’s main business focus after sandmining which ended in December.

He said the closure would not help promote island tourism.

Dunwich shopkeepers are concerned about two campsites being closed over Christmas.

A spokesperson for the bakery at Dunwich, who did not want to be named, said he was not told the campsites would be closed.

“I was not informed of the closure of the campgrounds at Dunwich and was told about it when people posted a story on Facebook.

“If there were 200 people camping at those two sites and each spent $10 a day, that would be $2000 a day or $14,000 a week and about $84,000 over the six-week holiday.”