Visitors to the region’s holiday parks are being encouraged to use water sustainably, thanks to a joint initiative between MidCoast Council and more than 20 park operators.
Signs and stickers urging people to save water in the shower and at the sink have been distributed to holiday parks across the MidCoast ahead of the busy summer season.
Council’s Director of Infrastructure and Engineering Services, Rob Scott, said the initiative was a simple but effective way to remind visitors that water is considered a precious commodity on the MidCoast.
“Ask people why they visit our region and most will list the outdoors as a major draw,” said Mr Scott.
“These signs encourage visitors to show their love for our beautiful outdoors by using less water indoors.
“They’re colourful, eye-catching, and best of all, they’re not asking people to do anything difficult – just keep your showers to five minutes and turn off the tap while brushing your teeth.”
With the signs and stickers displayed everywhere from Harrington to Hawks Nest to Gloucester, the majority of parks connected to Council’s water network have taken up the initiative, meaning visitors all over the region will be getting the same message.
Twin Dolphins Caravan Park at Tuncurry has had the signs and stickers up for more than a month now and park manager Andrew Walker said he’d received nothing but positive feedback.
“I think it’s fantastic,” said Mr Walker.
“I’ve always believed we’ve needed visual aids to remind our guests, yes, you’re on holidays, but we still have a responsibility to use our water as wisely as possible.”
Mr Walker was one of 16 park operators who recently took part in a series of water resilience workshops with Council.
The workshops brought together park operators from across the MidCoast to share ideas on how they could improve their water efficiency and better prepare their businesses to deal with the impacts of drought.
Each operator came away from the workshops with a customised water resilience plan for their park that will guide their preparation and response to future water shortages.
Mr Scott commended the parks for their commitment to conserving water.
“Our holiday parks have really taken the learnings from the 2019-2020 drought to heart and are embracing a range of innovative ways to use water more efficiently.”
