Another iconic Aussie campground closed down amid string of 'complex challenges'

Notably one of the most popular attractions in the area, come November, council will shut all public amenities at its campground at the Point Quobba Blowholes in Carnarvon, WA.

Carnarvon Shire Council will shut all amenities at the Quobba Blowholes Campground from November 30. Source: Happy Campers Australia
Carnarvon Shire Council will shut all amenities at the Quobba Blowholes Campground from November 30. Source: Happy Campers Australia

An Aussie council has revealed it's made the "difficult decision" to close all forms of public amenities at a popular coastal campground, due to the "complex challenges" it faced in implementing a management plan and the existence of a controversial "shack" community in the area.

Describing the spot as "notably one of our most popular attractions", Carnarvon Shire Council, located approximately 900 kilometres north of Perth, said that come November 30, it'll shut all public amenities at its campground at the Point Quobba Blowholes.

The site, undoubtably one of the state's most pristine, made worldwide headlines in 2021 when four-year-old Cleo Smith was abducted from her campsite by Terence Kelly, who is now serving 13 years in jail.

The popular spot has been home to dozens of shacks since the '50s, despite the community shrinking from 43 structures to 23 in recent times, amid an ongoing dispute with the state government and the Shire. Council states the shacks, primarily constructed from untreated timber and corrugated iron sheets, face a high risk of collapse due to exposure to corrosive salt air, winds and white ants.

The blowholes are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area, drawing campers from all over the country. Source: Carnarvon Shire Council
The blowholes are one of the most popular tourist attractions in the area, drawing campers from all over the country. Source: Carnarvon Shire Council

The Shire in 2022 vowed to a adopt a management plan aimed at "providing a framework" to guide future planning, development and management of recreation and tourism, while working with occupants of the shacks. But since then, council said it's face numerous and ongoing challenges in implementing the plan.

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Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, a council spokeswoman said from next month, "the Shire will cease all municipal services" at the reserve, including camping and caravan management, toilet facilities, dump points, and rubbish collection.

"At the 22 October 2024 Ordinary Meeting of Council, the Carnarvon Shire made the difficult decision to divest itself of the management orders over the Blowholes Reserve," the spokeswoman told Yahoo.

"This is due to the complex challenges and intractability of issues and the inability to implement the Blowholes Reserve Management Plan (BRMP).

"The Shire supports the Shire President and CEO in ongoing efforts to lobby the state government to negotiate a viable path forward...with a commitment to fulfilling the original intent of the BRMP, which sought to ‘manage the reserve in a more strategic, coordinated, equitable and sustainable manner’."

The shack community in the area remains at odds with council. Source: ABC
The shack community in the area remains at odds with council. Source: ABC

Council said it will now work with the community and visitors to ensure the transition is communicated adequately. In 2022, the Shire invoked the WA Building Act to claim that remaining shacks didn't meet standards for human habitation, seeking their removal.

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The State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) ruled that 10 of the shacks were indeed in a dangerous state, granting owners until August 30 to complete necessary repairs, but stopped short of ordering their demolition. It's not known what state they are currently in as of October.

In the council's October agenda report, seen by Yahoo, it cited a number of reasons for closing the campground. These include: the existence of the shacks, the SAT's "determination" to allow the shacks to "remain on the land and be repaired" and the lack of "financial capacity" to "prepare environmental studies and cultural heritage assessments" to implement the BRMP.

Additionally, it cited a "lack of staff resources" to implement the BRMP and "continued demand for infrastructure improvements and maintenance services with limited available budget".

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