CMCA Expands Benefit Scheme

The Campervan and Motorhome Club of Australia Ltd (CMCA) has expanded its RV Friendly Town™ (RVFT) and Leave No Trace (LNT) schemes.

Due to the success of the RVFT scheme, there have been an increasing number of rural towns across Australia seeking assessment for this programme. However, due to the smaller size of many of these communities, they are often unable to meet the criterion that the Club has set down to qualify as an RVFT. Not wanting to dilute the standards that were originally set for compliance, the Club was unable to sign these towns so that they could benefit economically from this wonderful scheme.

In order for these smaller towns to be able to participate, the Club has created an additional new category, that of RV Friendly Locations (RVFL). The main difference between an RVFT and an RVFL is that the RV Friendly Location will not have immediate access to medical facilities, and may not have direct access to a dump point. The dump point may be located in a town up to 50kms away. For many travellers, it is imperative that they not be located far from medical services. In the case of an RVFL, there will be no hospital, doctor’s surgery, or registered nurse available. Ambulance services will be located in another town, and will have to travel to the RVFL, and then return to the nearest hospital.

There may not be a pharmacy, but generally these products are delivered one or two days each week from the pharmacy in the nearest large township. There may not be a vehicle service centre, or an official Visitor Information Centre, although tourism material will be available at a retail outlet within the township. Apart from these things, the RVFL must comply in all other ways with the criterion set down for the RVFT programme. In other words, they must provide appropriate parking adjacent to their retail precinct for shopping, and they must provide low cost short and long term rest areas, and there will be access to potable water. So be sure to watch out for an RV Friendly Location near you.

The LNT scheme has proved to be very popular with Members of CMCA, and over 550 KEA Camper vehicles throughout Australia are also registered as complying units. Participants sign a declaration agreeing to abide by an eleven point Code of Conduct, and units must be totally self-contained, with the ability to stay at a site and leave absolutely no trace of their visit. Councils throughout Australia have embraced this scheme, and many have been more amenable to opening up new rest areas based on the fact that travellers are now making a commitment to do the right thing when it comes to the serious issues of health and the environment. CMCA has now made the decision to make participation in this scheme available to other RV travellers, on the condition that they are members of another RV club.

This means that owners of caravans, motorhomes, campervans, etc that are not Members of the CMCA, can still make their commitment to leave no trace of their visit to a site. Each vehicle displays a sticker on their window, and owners carry a Letter of Acknowledgement with their name and vehicle details, as an authentication document that can be shown to those in authority at any time. There is a $5 administration charge, and all RV clubs have been sent notification of this scheme, so we hope to see an increasing number of participants get involved and do their bit for the environment. For more information on these schemes, simply contact CMCA.

Happy environmentally-friendly travelling.

The CMCA Team