Eureka Bandits members at the founding of their new club.

The Australian Caravan Club( ACC) formed its 50th branch in Ballarat, Vic, in early May. The ACC Eureka Bandits branch was formed at the Sebastopol Bowling Club, where an inaugural meeting was held and a committee elected. The new branch has a starting base of 19 members and will cover RVers living in the Ballarat region and its surrounds.“ The formation of our 50th branch is most certainly an exciting achievement for our club and its members,” ACC chairman Craig Humphrey said.“ Our club is constantly growing, with new branches forming to fill in the gaps in areas where we have no branch structure – the formation of the ACC Eureka Bandits fills a gap in the Ballarat region.” Newly elected ACC Eureka Bandits branch president Angela Jones said members present at the meeting were very enthusiastic to see a new branch of the ACC in their area.“ We are all very excited and really looking forward to our first muster together,” Ms Jones said. For more information on the ACC or the Eureka Bandits, phone the ACC on 1800 734 493.

The Victorian Caravan Parks Association has welcomed tourism funding announced in the Victorian state budget, which was handed down in May.“ Funding for a number of major projects, including the Geelong Regional City Deal to fund the Geelong Convention Centre, phase two of the Shipwreck Coast masterplan over four years, and other investments in naturebased tourism, including funding for cycling infrastructure across the Grampians region and a multi-sport Murray River Adventure Trail is urgently needed,” VicParks CEO Elizabeth White said.“ These vital initiatives must proceed so that the visitor economy can continue to grow in regional areas, and more jobs can be created as a result.” Ms White also welcomed funding boosts for training and education across the state.“ Victorian employers are currently experiencing critical staff shortages in skilled hospitality and park management positions,” she said. The budget also contained initiatives to develop broader investment in regional and rural areas, Ms White said.“ In particular, we support plans to cut payroll tax rate for regional employers and to further promote regional tourism in Victoria, whether this be by local, interstate or international visitors.”

VicParks CEO Elizabeth White( left) at Valley View Caravan Park, Whitfield, Vic.

44 gorv. com. au