Quinns Rocks Caravan Park

Thank you for participating

The community survey for the future of the former Quinns Rocks Caravan Park site is now closed.  This concludes the second phase of the community engagement process.

Survey results are now being analysed and will be presented to Council in the coming months.  

The Question/Answer document, which was updated throughout the engagement period, will continue to be updated with any new information that arises.

The interactive map showing the ecotourism accommodation, café and event space proposal is also closed for comment. However, it can still be viewed by clicking on the below link.

Project background

Site investigations

In advance of the closure of the former caravan park in 2014, Council determined that investigations should occur on the future development of the site.  

The original Council resolution (2012) referred to the investigation for the City to operate the site as a typical modern caravan park, featuring serviced sites for caravans, campervans and recreational vehicles brought onsite by short stay visitors, with a limited number of park homes available for short term hire by the public.  

The potential development of the site was also identified in the City’s Tourism Plan 2019-2024 (Tourism Plan), as endorsed by Council in June 2019.  The Tourism Plan referred to the preparation of the business case for the site, in the following terms:  Develop a business case which seeks to determine suitability of the former caravan park for the purpose of a future modern tourist site. The business case will inform decision-making about the future of the site.

The City’s Coastal Hazard Risk Management and Adaptation Plan has identified that this site may be vulnerable to coastal hazards within the next 100 years.  

Business case

The business case was prepared by the City’s consultant, Pracsys, and subsequently endorsed by Council in September 2020.  The business case identified two viable accommodation options on the site:

• Eco Retreat:  This option would offer a boutique eco-tent experience (also described as ecotourism), similar to that introduced at Rottnest Island and other locations.   
• Family Tourist Park:  This option describes a more traditional tourist park experience offering caravan sites and cabins.   

When the business case was endorsed by Council, the City was also authorised to conduct an expression of interest process to seek market-based interest from third party operators of the site as a modern caravan or holiday park under a lease.  The City was not proposing to develop or operate the site itself.

Expression of interest process

The EOI process was conducted in late 2021, and invited proposals for the development and operation of a low impact and environmentally sensitive tourism accommodation offering one or both of the following alternatives:

• The historical caravan park location (i.e. the original site of the former caravan park).
• An expanded footprint (with any expansion being to the extent reasonably required for the commercial viability of a development, while preserving the environmental value of the majority of natural vegetation).

The scope for the EOI had been developed with input from the Quinns Rocks Caravan Park Redevelopment Community Advisory Group in mid-2021. 

Two submissions were received and considered by Council. 

Preferred proposal

In July 2022, Council identified a preferred proposal, involving an ecotourism accommodation, café and event space proposal.  This proposal is contained within the original footprint of the former caravan park site and involves a ‘light touch’ development.

Council also requested engagement with the community to provide information on the proposal and seek feedback on the proposal and other land use options for the site. 

Community responses will inform the Council decision about the next steps in the project and whether to progress discussions with the proponent or explore other options for the site.

Community engagement

Community engagement has been an ongoing aspect of the project. Information on previous project consultation was outlined in the September 2020 report to Council, with the consultation including:

• community workshops during October-December 2018 to consider constraints of development by identifying community values. The workshops were structured to capture feedback from environmental groups, local residents and wider City residents and ratepayers
• industry consultation during mid-2019
• a community survey in late 2019 (concluding early 2020) seeking community and business input. The survey targeted the key themes of importance, which had been identified in the community workshops conducted in 2018 and during the industry consultation in 2019.

Updates have also been shared at regular intervals on the City’s Your Say page for the project.