Regional tourism key
In the whirlwind of talk about electric vehicles (EV) and the infrastructure needed to charge them, the Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA) makes an excellent point.
The peak body of Australia’s large caravan industry highlighted the need to help regional tourism operators connect with EV users.
According to the body, drive tourism accounts for 75 percent of all tourism in regional areas. This means charging infrastructure and stimulating the accommodation sector to install charging points will be crucial to aid the recovery of regional tourism.
The association has called for a matched grants scheme for caravan parks and other regional accommodation providers to invest in charging stations that are suitable for charging all EVs.
CIAA estimates a $3 million Federal Government investment would provide an additional 2,000 chargers across 1,000 caravan parks in regional Australia.
It makes sense.
Caravan parks provide the ideal site for EV charging points for travellers who base their driving holidays on where they can charge their vehicle.
COVID-19 has left many caravan parks without capital to invest in infrastructure upgrades. Government incentives can help rebuild regional tourism following a difficult two years and will ease the transition to EVs for regional communities dependent on drive tourism.
With 2,000 caravan parks around Australia with the space to add EV chargers, the Federal Government should capitalise on the opportunity to fast-track EV usage and give a much-needed boost to regional areas across the nation.
So, here’s hoping EV caravanning will be a realistic, affordable option for us in the not-too-distant future.
Words: VACC CEO, Geoff Gwilym.
Share your thoughts! E: ceo@vacc.com.au. As featured in the Herald Sun 21 January 2022.