Park rules end ruff treatment of travellers with pets

Broome has put the bark back into pet-friendly travel by introducing changes that welcome visitors and their animals to caravan parks and camping grounds.

The Shire of Broome has previously been hammered on social media for failing to provide them with adequate accommodation.

But the council is set to send tails wagging by giving them priority access to temporary or overflow caravan parks and removing the maximum seven-day time limit they were previously allowed to stay.

One of the main reasons for the policy overhaul was to find people turned away from permanent caravan parks because of their animals a place to stay without having to leave town.

The temporary facilities would only be available to travellers without pets if permanent caravan parks were full.

Shire president Ron Johnston said the council was aware the previous approach to managing temporary overflow camping facilities had been heavily criticised by members of the travelling public, which “made the town appear unfriendly and unwelcoming”.

“The Shire has taken this feedback onboard, and removed the restriction on the length of time a person travelling with pets can stay during times they cannot be accommodated in Broome in a permanent caravan park,” he said.

“Introducing greater flexibility and being more accommodating of travellers that can’t be accommodated in permanent caravan parks, especially those travelling with pets, will promote a more positive image for Broome and hopefully attract more tourists to the town.”

Shire director development services Aletta Nugent said the new policy represented a more positive approach to attracting the self-drive market to Broome, especially the large contingent of people travelling with pets.

“Self-drive travellers are very vocal through social media in promoting or criticising a destination, so we hope that by improving conditions and being more accommodating of these travellers, it will provide a boost to Broome’s image throughout that tourist market,” she said.

She said the move would benefit businesses in town by increasing visitor numbers and their length of stay while not affecting existing caravan parks.

Ms Nugent said the Shire would continue to work with permanent caravan parks and the Broome Visitor Centre to monitor their capacity to ensure temporary and overflow facilities would only operate when needed and to accommodate travellers when permanent caravan parks were full.