Clifton Progress Association praises Toowoomba council after prices at Clifton recreation reserve reduced

Visitor numbers at a small town’s council-run campsite were dropping rapidly after a 150 per cent fee hike — but the decision has now been reversed thanks to dedicated locals.

A small town says it has already enjoyed a big response from grey nomads and visitors after it successfully lobbied the council to reverse a 150 per cent price hike at a once-popular campsite.

Visitor numbers at the Toowoomba Regional Council-run Clifton Recreation Reserve have plummeted over the past two years, according to community groups concerned about the economic impact of a loss of tourists.

The drop across 2023 coincided with prices for powered sites at the campgrounds increasing from just $10 in June 2022 to $25 in July last year.

Clifton Recreation Reserve has seen a significant drop in patronage since prices were increased by the Toowoomba Regional Council.

This is despite the reserve featuring basic amenities and no access to laundry facilities, which have become more common across Australia.

The councillors voted at last Tuesday’s ordinary meeting to drop prices back to just $20 for a powered site and $15 for an unpowered space, thanks to submissions and evidence provided by the Clifton District Progress Association.

Group president Margaret May, who herself was a grey nomad before settling in the town, said small business owners experienced a quiet tourism period in September — a time usually among the community’s most lucrative months for visitors.

“We noticed a drop in the people who were using the recreation grounds and the town was having a really slow time,” she said.

“The newsagent said he was normally busy the weekend before the Leyburn sprints, but he had no one.

“We get two kinds of people – grey nomads or the weekenders.

“We have quite a few people who come up from Brisbane and the Gold Coast, spend the weekend here and then go back again, and we weren’t getting those people anymore.”

After noting the numbers at the reserve following complaints, Ms May said she realised many grey nomads were skipping Clifton entirely to camp at a free privately-run reserve at Nobby, about seven minutes away.

“With our numbers, we were lucky to have three or four, whereas Nobby had been eight or nine — they don’t have power there, but we do here,” she said.

“We did some research (online), and had a look at the comments (left by grey nomads) and it was things saying ‘why would we pay $25 to stay there?’.

“People were asking how (the council) could warrant a jump from $10 to $25 in 18 months.”

The association’s concerns were shared by councillor Carol Taylor at the meeting, saying the council needed to do its part to encourage tourism.

“There has been a huge exodus in terms of the numbers they used to get, because they’re going to Nobby,” she said.

Prices will increase by $2 every year for the next three years, with the council to also explore ways to hand over operations or fee collections to a third party.

Ms May said the response since the decision was made had been unanimously positive online, with grey nomads reportedly ready to come back to town.

“We’ve had so many positive comments — ($10) doesn’t sound like a lot of money, but if you stay seven nights, that’s $70 (saved) you can now spend in the town,” she sad.

“We feel as though TRC is listening to some of their smaller towns — it gives us a bit of hope and encouragement.”