Batlow Caravan Park Upgrade Itinerant Worker Accommodation
Upgrades are complete and an Official Opening was held on 4 October, 2023.
Council has extended the Batlow Caravan Park and installed multiple new buildings to increase accommodation options and availability in Batlow.
The project has provided an additional 60 permanent beds at the Batlow Caravan Park to support the local horticultural and forestry industries of Batlow.
Seasonal workers are essential to supporting the local horticultural and forest industries of Batlow, however much of the accommodation options for seasonal workers were destroyed by the Dunns Road Bushfire (including a 100-bed backpacker establishment).
SVC was in the fortunate position of having sufficient space available at the Batlow Caravan Park and the old Batlow Cannery site to house an increased number of permanent accommodation options.
The scope of works for the project included:
- Backpacker units
- Studio units
- Camp kitchen (to support backpacker accommodation) + laundry + cleaning room
- Accessible unisex amenities block
- Updated entry
- Landscaping around blocks
Funding
Council received just over $3.95M from the NSW Government's Bushfire Industry Package – Sector Development Grants for upgrades at the Batlow Caravan Park.
$570,151 was used to fund the Bushfire Emergency Accommodation Council built at the Batlow Caravan park in March 2020 following the 2019/20 Black Summer Bushfires.
Total budget for this project is $3,734,420 (NSW Govt Bushfire Industry Grant $3,558,420 plus Council Co-Contribution of $176,000).
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Opening Celebrations
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5 October 2023
The new Itinerant Worker Accommodation at the Batlow Caravan Park was officially opened on Wednesday 4 October.
Wagga MP Dr Joe McGirr MP joined Mayor Ian Chaffey, Councillors and community members for the official ceremony.
Dr McGirr said that the opening was another chapter in Batlow’s recovery from the 2019-20 bushfires.
The project was jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Government’s and has provided an additional 60 permanent beds to support the local horticultural and forestry industries.
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Join us for the official opening
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29 September 2023
Come on down to the Batlow Caravan Park at 10.30am on Wednesday 4 October and join us for the official opening of the new worker accommodation.
Everyone is welcome to join in the festivities which will include a plaque unveiling, cake-cutting and tours.
Mayor Ian Chaffey will be joined by Dr Joe McGirr MP, Member for Wagga Wagga to mark the opening.
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Project completed and official opening planned
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Project works are now complete on the new backpacker and studio units at the Batlow Caravan Park. As the weather improves final landscaping is being undertaken ahead of an official opening planned for early October 2023.
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Getting closer to completion
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Finishing touches are now being made to the newly installed buildings including:
- Installing gas bottles
- Adding door-locking hardware
- Line marking for parking bays
- Developing a landscaping plan
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Footpaths and Roads
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Footpaths and internal roads are beginning to be established at the Park to support the new buildings
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Verandahs
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Progress continues on the new worker accommodation project at the Batlow Caravan Park.
Verandahs are taking shape on the cabins and the camp kitchen and connecting water and wastewater services to the buildings has also begun.
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Progress
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Things are beginning to take shape onsite thanks to a stretch of dry weather.
This week the first 10 units were craned onto their permanent footings and installation of water, sewerage and storm water pipes also got underway.
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Project Update
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Early earthworks on the Batlow Caravan Park expansion uncovered a buried concrete separator tank left over from the old cannery days. Today the tank was dug out and the hole backfilled in preparation for storm water installations. The storm water installation has been impacted by the recent wet weather.
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Site Preparations Continue
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The Worker Accommodation project is gaining momentum with building materials being delivered to the old cannery site in preparation for the storm water installations, which should start next week, weather permitting.
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Prefabricated Units Arrived
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4 Aug 2022
Ten new backpacker units have arrived and are being stored at the Batlow Cannery while site preparations at the park are progressed.
