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Loddon HERALD Vol 1 No 43 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021 ISSN 2653-1550
TOURIST NUMBER FEARS AFTER SEWER FUNDS REJECTED
CAMP CALAMITY
STOIC Tarnagulla residents have vowed to keep the town’s only accommodation area open to visiting campers.
Members of the recreation reserve committee fear the impact on several local businesses if the campground was forced to close. They were told week told a State Government grant application they were encouraged to make for $100,000 to replace a septic tank and improve amenities at the reserve had been rejected. Cafe owner Justine Smith said her business had already been affected since the campground was forced to stop providing shower facilities after the septic tank overflowed in April. “The popularity of our campground bringing greater use is what caused that,” said reserve manager Wayne Chandler. Committee secretary Wendy Sutton said Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning had given $1800 as temporary help to pay for weekly pumpouts of the tank “but that money has long gone”. She said the committee was using its own funds to continue the pumpouts and had installed a warning light to detect risk of overflow. Mrs Sutton said booking inquiries had dropped since April, potential campers put off by no shower facilities. “They go to Newbridge instead,” she said. Shower facilities were also unavailable at the Waanyarra and lower Laanecoorie campgrounds popular with grey nomads and gold detectorists. Committee member Louise Dennis put together the rejected
Louise Dennis and Wendy Sutton with other members of the reserve committee ... dejected but still determined. LH PHOTO application. “We’re determined to keep plugging along and have started getting new quotes for the next lot of grant applications” to achieve a balance between visiting campers and potential community use, she said. DELWP regional manager land and built environment Adam Melis said: “Round three of the Victoria’s Great Outdoors Camping and Caravan Grants program was highly competitive and not all projects were able to be funded.” “The Department of Environment, Land Water and Planning
is working with the Tarnagulla Recreation Parks committee of management to identify alternative funding sources to upgrade the septic system. “DELWP will continue to work with Loddon Shire Council and the committee of management on longer term solutions for camping at the site,” he said. Mrs Sutton said the importance of the campground should not be under-estimated. “Without camping, this historic reserve would soon be derelict,” she said.
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