Fraser Coast Beachfront Caravan Parks Redevelopment

The Scarness caravan park redevelopment is complete, with the park now fully reopened to guests.

Fraser Coast Regional Councillor Denis Chapman said the Scarness caravan park redevelopment had been completed in stages, with the western end reopened in December 2023 before work moved on to the eastern end this year.

“The existing infrastructure in the park was aging and needed upgrading to suit modern vans, especially RVs,” he said.

“Improvements have included new internal roads, underground power, upgraded water and sewerage systems, new toilets, camp kitchens, and a new manager’s office and residence.

“The redevelopment has resulted in a more modern caravan park tailored to the needs of today’s tourists.”

Cr Chapman said work was also progressing on the redevelopment of the Burrum Heads caravan park.

“The first stage of the Burrum Heads caravan park redevelopment is expected to be completed early next year, with the entire project set to finish by August 2025, weather permitting,” he said.

“A key focus for Council is to plan for the future, and to effectively manage and maintain our assets, and these projects are an example of how we are working to achieve that for our community.”

Bookings for the fully reopened Scarness caravan park can be made online at https://beachfronttouristparks.com.au/ or by contacting the caravan park managers directly.

The first stage of the major works between Burrum and Howard Streets will commence in March 2024, and continue throughout the year.

The second stage of the redevelopment of the Burrum Heads Caravan Park inside the property boundary between the Burrum River and Burrum Street will continue in 2025.

The construction works will include new roads and services that will be widened and relocated. New buildings include a manager’s building, amenities, BBQ areas and a camp kitchen.

Trees being removed will be replaced on at least a two for one basis as part of the landscaping works. Replacement trees will include native trees to match the rest of the caravan park and foreshore.

Council thanks everyone for their patience during these works.

For more information about the redevelopment of the four Council-owned caravan parks, go to frasercoast.engagemenethub.com.au/caravan parks.com.au.

The final stage of the Scarness caravan park upgrade and the first stage of the Burrum Heads caravan park redevelopment will start within weeks.

At its meeting today, Fraser Coast Regional Council resolved to accept the tender from local company Rejuvenate Group to deliver the next round of caravan park redevelopment works for $13.7 million.

Cr Jan Hegge said the works on the western side of the Scarness caravan park had been completed late last year and had been warmly welcomed by guests.

“The final stage of the redevelopment is to upgrade the eastern side of the park with new roads, underground power, water and sewerage systems, new toilets and a camp kitchen,” she said.

“This work will start within weeks and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.”

Cr James Hansen said a masterplan had been prepared to guide the redevelopment of the Burrum Heads caravan park and he was looking forward to work starting on the project this year.

“The Burrum Heads caravan park remains a popular destination, but the existing infrastructure is aging and the park needs upgrading to suit modern vans, especially RVs,” he said.

“The first stage of the upgrade will start within weeks and focus on the southern portion between Burrum and Howard Streets.

“Works will include new roads, underground power, water and sewerage systems, new toilets, a camp kitchen with a barbecue area on the river, and a new managers’ residence.

“The first stage is due to be completed by early 2025, with the redeveloped Burrum Heads caravan park expected to be fully operational by the end of 2025, subject to supply chain challenges and weather impacts.”

Cr Hegge said Council owned four caravan parks on the beachfront in Scarness, Burrum Heads, Torquay and Pialba, which were all being refurbished to ensure the parks meet current standards and expectations.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused while the work is carried out, but the end result will be more modern caravan parks catering to today’s tourists' needs,” she said.

“A key focus for Council is to plan for the future, and to effectively manage and maintain our assets, and these projects are an example of how we are working to achieve that for our community.”

For more information about the redevelopment of the four Council-owned caravan parks, go to https://frasercoast.engagementhub.com.au/caravan-parks

The first stage of the Scarness caravan park upgrade has been completed with guests being relocated from the eastern side to the newly developed western side from next week.

Fraser Coast Regional Councillor David Lee said various works had been carried out on the park's western side throughout the year, with work to shift to the eastern side in 2024.

“The first stage of the redevelopment on the western side has seen new roads built, underground power, water and sewerage systems installed, along with the construction of a new manager’s office and residence, camp kitchen and barbecues,” he said.

“From Tuesday 12 December, the park managers will move into the new residence and reception office. The shade cloth and temporary fencing will also be removed to allow for final grounds preparations.

“Guests will be relocated from the eastern side to the western side on Wednesday 13 December with temporary fencing to be installed on the eastern side ahead of the final stage of the redevelopment.

“Bookings have been accepted to the end of January 2024 so far, with guests to be transferred to the new side of the park. As site numbers remain about the same, the newly developed section will be well-occupied over the holiday season.

“Online bookings of the remaining sites between 14 December 2023 and 29 February 2024 will open soon. The booking ballot for the initial 12 months of bookings from 1 March 2024 to 28 February 2025 was recently completed with site allocations and confirmations occurring over the coming weeks.

“It is anticipated that all remaining bookings for the next 12 months will be available online by the end of this year with more details available at https://beachfronttouristparks.com.au/”

Council received $200,000 from the Queensland Government’s Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport towards the $5 million Scarness caravan park redevelopment.

Cr Jade Wellings said Council owned four caravan parks on the beachfront in Scarness, Burrum Heads, Torquay and Pialba, which will all be refurbished over the next few years to ensure the parks meet current standards and expectations.

“The existing infrastructure in the parks is aging and the parks need upgrading to suit modern vans, especially RVs,” she said.

“Master plans have been prepared for all four parks, with work expected to start on the Burrum Heads caravan park redevelopment this financial year.

“We apologise for the inconvenience caused while the work is carried out, but the end result will be more modern caravan parks, catering for the needs of today’s tourists.

“A key focus for Council is to plan for the future, and to effectively manage and maintain our assets, and these projects are an example of how we are working to achieve both those outcomes for our community.”

For more information about the redevelopment of the four Council-owned caravan parks, go to https://frasercoast.engagementhub.com.au/caravan-parks

Over the past two weeks of the Scarness Caravan Park Redevelopment - Stage One, progress has been noticably rapid.

Internal roads have been completed and the new buildings have frames and roofing.

The Esplanade footpath in front of the Scarness Caravan Park will be reopened by the weekend, ahead of the September schedule.

Council is planning to start construction of stage two of the upgrades next year.

To allow the building contractors to work on buildings while the civil contractor works on the internal caravan park roads, Council has closed the footpath across the front of the Scarness Caravan Park.

The footpath closure combined with the closure of the minimum number of carparks possible is required for trucks, machines and deliveries to access the building sites from the Esplanade.

Access from the Esplanade is required until mid-September, weather permitting and as long as no delays are experienced with the internal road works.

A permit has been obtained for the footpath closure indicated in the diagrams.

We urge the community to comply with the signage and cross the road where it is safe to do so.

We appreciate the community's understanding and patience during this period while we work towards enhancing the tourism experience in the area.

Building works for the first phase of the multi-million-dollar redevelopment of the Scarness Caravan Park will start soon.

At its meeting today (May 24), Fraser Coast Regional Council awarded a $1.8m tender to Rejuvenate Construction Solutions to build the caravan park manager’s office/residence, amenities, camp kitchen and barbecues as part of the redevelopment of the western half of the park.

Work is already underway on a $3.2 million contract with Murphy Builders to construct the roads and install the underground power, water and sewerage systems in preparation for the new facilities.

“While the work is underway, the eastern section of the park will remain open for fully self-contained campers,” Cr David Lee said.

“The redevelopment is being undertaken in stages so the new western facilities will be opened as they are completed, with the aim that all works are completed by 2024.”

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused while the work is carried out, but the end result will be a more modern caravan park, catering for the needs of today’s tourists.

“A key focus for Council over the next five years is to plan for the future, and to effectively manage and maintain our assets, and this project is an example of how we are working to achieve both those outcomes for our community.”

For more information about the redevelopment of the four Council-owned caravan parks, go to https://frasercoast.engagementhub.com.au/caravan-parks. To be advised of any updates to any of the caravan parks' master plans, click 'Follow Project' on the top right of this project page.

Work on Phase One of the Scarness Caravan Park redevelopment has started.

The $3.2 million redevelopment contract to build the roads and install the underground power, water and sewerage systems is being undertaken by Murphy Builders.

The work focuses on the western half of the caravan park.

“The project will also include fencing and the start of the landscaping,” Cr David Lee said.

“While the work is underway the eastern section of the park will remain operational,” he said.

“The aim is to redevelop the park in two stages, opening each of the new areas progressively as they are completed with all works completed by 2024.

“It is anticipated that the tenders for the building works, including the new manager’s office, camp kitchen and park amenities will be advertised shortly.

“The Scarness Caravan Park is ideally located on the Esplanade and attracts many visitors to the Fraser Coast. It provides an important boost to the local tourism industry and regional economy.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused while the work is carried out, but the end result will be a more modern caravan park, catering for the needs of today’s tourists.”

Council received $200,000 towards the project from the State Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport.

For more information about the redevelopment of the four Council-owned caravan parks, go to https://frasercoast.engagementhub.com.au/caravan-parks.

CAPTION: Construction underway … Councillors David Lee (left) and David Lewis (right) check the progress of works at the Scarness Caravan Park on the Hervey Bay Esplanade with Project Manager Matthew Kraft.

The $3.2million contract to build the roads and install the underground power, water and sewerage systems for Phase One of the Scarness Caravan Park redevelopment has been awarded to Murphy Builders.

The work will start early in the new year and will focus on the western half of the caravan park.

“The project will also include fencing and the start of the landscaping,” Cr Lee said.

While some trees will have to be removed, these will be replaced on a minimum two for one basis with native and other species that already exist in the caravan park and along the foreshore.

“While the work is underway the eastern section of the park will remain operational.

“The aim is to redevelop the park in two stages, opening each of the new areas progressively as they are completed with all works completed by 2024,” Cr Lee said.

“Current timing estimates, which are subject to supply chain challenges and weather impacts, indicate that the park will be fully operational in 2024.

“It is anticipated that the tenders for the building works, including the new manager’s office, camp kitchen and park amenities will be advertised in January.

“The Scarness Caravan Park is ideally located on the Esplanade and attracts many visitors to the Fraser Coast. It provides an important boost to the local tourism industry and regional economy.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused while the work is carried out, but the end result will be a more modern caravan park, catering for the needs of today’s tourists.”

Council received $200,000 towards the project from the State Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport.

For more information about the redevelopment of the four Council-owned caravan parks, go to https://frasercoast.engagementhub.com.au/caravan-parks

Further options are under consideration for the entry to the Fraser Coast Regional Council’s beachfront tourist park at Burrum Heads as part of the Master Planning process.

“Additional options for the entry are being considered and we are seeking feedback on these suggestions from the local community,” Cr Jade Wellings said.

The current adopted Master Plan allows for the entry to the park to be via Burrum Street, with the office and manager’s residence located on the southern side of Burrum Street near the entrance. This plan would continue to have cars and caravans pass the shops on Burrum Street to enter into the park.

Additional Option 1 suggests caravanners approach the park via Ross Street into Burrum Street and then into the caravan park. The office and manager’s residence will remain as proposed in the Master Plan and waiting space for three caravans will be located inside the caravan park for guests as they check in.

Additional Option 2 suggests caravanners approach the park via Ross Street into Howard Street and then into the caravan park via the cul-de-sac at the south. It also relocates the office and manager’s residence to the southern end of the park near the Howard Street entrance.

To find out more and ‘have your say’, log on to the Council Engagement Hub, go to the Beachfront Carava Parks Redevelopment page and complete the online survey.

The survey closes on Sunday 12 June 2022 at 11:55pm.

Cr Wellings said master plans had been developed for Council’s four beachfront caravan parks to ensure the parks were commercially viable and met current standards and visitor expectations.

“The existing infrastructure in the parks is aging and needs replacing, with the parks needing to be upgraded to suit modern vans, including RVs,” she said.

The outcomes of this consultation will guide the Burrum Heads Beachfront Tourist Park Redevelopment to deliver the best outcomes for guests and the community into the future.

Wider internal roads, larger sites and new offices/manager’s residences are among the key elements of the master plans for the Pialba and Torquay Beachfront Caravan Parks.

Cr Jade Wellings said Fraser Coast Regional Council engaged SGL Consultants to prepare master plans for the four beachfront tourist parks at Burrum Heads, Scarness, Torquay and Pialba to ensure the parks were commercially viable, and met current standards and visitor expectations.

“The existing infrastructure in the parks is aging and needs replacing and the parks need upgrading to suit modern vans, especially RVs,” she said.

“The plans for the Pialba and Torquay parks, which were adopted at the April Council meeting, focus on improving the safety and comfort of guests, changing the layout and site sizes while also improving access from the Esplanade.

Cr Wellings said the plans were adopted following feedback from residents, businesses and park users.

“An online survey was conducted, and we received 906 submissions of which key elements for change included larger sites and upgrading park amenities,” she said.

The master planning project has moved to the next phase and detailed civil and building designs are currently being prepared.

It is anticipated that the Pialba and Torquay redevelopment projects will be completed by late 2025.

The project will be delivered in multiple successive stages to ensure that the parks can remain open in sections as work progresses.

Funding for the staged redevelopment of the four beach front parks has been allocated in Council’s 10-Year Capital Works Program

Surveying work has commenced at the Scarness Beachfront Caravan Park as the redevelopment project moves into its next phase.

“The contract for the project’s civil design (roadways and underground services) has been awarded to Barlow Shelley Consulting Engineers and the first stage of the design project is to locate the boundaries and services.

“The surveyors are now mapping the camping reserve boundaries,” Cr David Lee said.

“The survey work is expected to take four to five weeks to complete, weather permitting,

“The survey will ensure that the future design of the caravan park will not encroach on to the foreshore, as is currently the case.”

Council has allocated $6 million for the redevelopment works.

“The aim is to develop the park in stages, opening new areas progressively as they are completed with all works completed by 2024,” Cr Lee said.

“We anticipate the civil designs for Stage 1, including the location of the managers residence, to be completed in May.

“From there we can call for tenders to develop the plans for the civil works and building works. Our aim is to call for tenders for the building works in November with work to start in early December."

The project is being delivered in multiple successive stages to ensure that the site can remain in use to minimise the impact on local businesses who rely on the trade from tourists staying at the park.

“If all goes to plan, and there are no supply chain or weather delays, the caravan park should be fully operational in early 2024," Cr Lee said.

“The Scarness Caravan park is ideally located on the Esplanade and attracts many visitors to the Fraser Coast. It provides an important boost to the local tourism industry and regional economy.

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused while the work is carried out, but the end result will be a safer, more modern caravan park, catering for the needs of today’s tourists.”