Kalgoorlie-Boulder has received an increase in visitation by tourists travelling in recreational vehicles this past month while the Fitzroy Crossing bridge is closed for reconstruction.
The Kimberley bridge, which is undergoing replacement construction, was significantly damaged by flooding generated by ex-tropical cyclone Ellie in December and January.
Many travellers have found themselves rerouted to the Goldfields while the bridge and sections of Great Northern Highway at Willare Crossing and Fitzroy Crossing are repaired.
About a month ago, the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder identified visitation to the 72-hour RV rest stop area at Centennial Park would increase during the reconstruction period.
City chief executive Andrew Brien told the Kalgoorlie Miner City officers had completed works to expand the available space at the site to adequately prepare for this increase.
“Between 10 October 2022 and 22 March 2023, the Centennial Park 72-hour RV site hosted 2266 visitors,” he said.
“The City has received positive feedback, and many thank-you letters from visitors to the site, who appreciate the assistance from the City to enhance the visitor experience.”
The site can accommodate 70 self-contained vehicles at any one time and the City is able to section off the site depending on demand.
“To date, the capacity of the site has been adequate to needs,” Mr Brien said.
“The City monitors visitation twice a day with rangers and road counters monitoring compliance — the City also receives daily responses to the visitor survey for the site.”
Mr Brien said the estimated average spend injected into the local economy by having the rest stop available was $7000 a day.
“Visitors to Kalgoorlie-Boulder are vital to stimulating the local economy and the City works with local stakeholders in tourism, retail, hospitality, and the local business sector to expand service offerings that encourage and extend periods of stay in the city,” he said.
The rest stop area was controversially increased to 72 hours from 24 hours in August last year to meet the demand for accommodation in the city.
Despite some teething issues in the beginning, which related to an increase in rubbish and antisocial behaviour at the park, the City put measures in place to ensure the public space was still enjoyable for residents.
Goldfields tourism development manager Donna Malec said it was “fantastic” the City was able to extend the hours of the rest stop to accommodate more self-contained vehicles.
“It’s even more exciting to see people are still travelling around the region,” she said.
“All the visitor centres in the Goldfields-Esperance region have reported they are extremely busy which is unheard of at this time of the year.”
According to the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Visitor Centre, tourism to the city is healthy, with many travellers staying in their own self-contained vehicles because of the lack of accommodation.