Shire of Esperance council green-light nature camp plans

Plans for a nature-based camp park will move forward with conditions, after a unanimous vote by the Shire of Esperance council on January 28.

About ten years since his first application to the shire, landowner Greg Hill can now begin to transform parts of his Merivale cattle farm into the 'Dunns Eco Park'.

Mr Hill said the sustainable tourism park would offer travelers an immersive farm experience, nature walks and basic camping facilities.

"I am sure it will add something to this region and we will build on it as demand and management grows," he said.

The decision comes after two Merivale farm owners called on the council to reconsider Mr Hill's previously approved application.

Kathy Hine said without a full-time caretaker onsite to monitor the increased tourism activity, campers' safety and surrounding farms' livestock bio-security was at risk.

"Our main concerns were that with nobody there to monitor the site, any rules set in place by the owner may not be followed," she said.

"You would have people lighting camp fires, leaving their rubbish behind bringing in feral animals, people wandering where they shouldn't go and bringing pets into the area.

"A caretaker will alleviate those problems."

Considering the concerns, council approved the development application with 35 conditions.

These included that a caretaker must be on site at all times when paying guests were present, to install a buffer distance separating tourist activities and adjoining properties, and to construct a fence separating Mr Hill's camp ground from livestock within the property.

Mr Hill said with a background in environmental management, he was prepared to implement the conditions and looked forward to opening the park as soon as Easter.

"We know we are doing it in a very responsible manner and going by all the guidelines," he said.

"This place has always been conservatively managed in regards to protecting the bushland.

"I've not taken anything lightly and have continued to take comprehensive due diligence."

Mr Hill said he hoped the park could be a template for future ecotourism ventures in the region.

"There's a massive decline in urban people who are being exposed to these environments, they need to be brought in to a farming environment that is managed well," he said.

"The beauty of it is letting people have the opportunity to camp and learn."

Mrs Hine said she was pleased council had heard her concerns, but farmers needed to be diligent to protect livestock from the spread of disease.

"A stock disease such as Foot and Mouth is the worse case scenario, but if we are protected from that disease then we are protected from a whole range of other stock diseases as well," she said.

"Tourism is a great thing for Esperance but it has to be done properly."