AROUND 12 months ago, the NRMA announced it would be making a $3 million investment into the city after acquiring the Big4 Bathurst Panorama Holiday Park.
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On Wednesday, the organisation was finally able to unveil the extent of that investment.
Four new accommodation options, including studio units, two-bedroom cabins, three-bedroom cabins and new ensuite sites, have been created at the park, now known as the NRMA Bathurst Panorama Holiday Park.
Many of the park’s existing cabins and sites, as well as the amenities, were also upgraded during the renovations.
NRMA Parks and Resorts CEO Paul Davies came to Bathurst to officially unveil the improved holiday park, speaking to the invited guests and later joining them for a tour.
Mr Davies said that Bathurst was a natural fit for the NRMA, which had been looking to expand its accommodation portfolio.
“As a 98-year-young organisation and looking at starting to grow our portfolio of holiday parks around the country, when the opportunity came up to take ownership of a property in a town like Bathurst, it seemed the most natural for a business that has been in motoring for 98 years,” he said.
“But aside from that, we feel it is a very important gateway for the driving holidays we see and we want to encourage Australians to take to see more of their own backyard.
“And we know that for every dollar that is spent in a holiday park in a regional area, $1.38 goes back into the community, and it encourages more people to continue to travel to the area.”
The NRMA wants to support the evolution of Bathurst as a destination, Mr Davies said, and part of that strategy includes getting visitors to stay an extra night.
For that reason, every effort has been taken to ensure the accommodation types offered at the park are comfortable and the amenities, including entertainment, are enjoyable.
“While there may be other options in town, if we make this a great place, people will stay an extra night, and an extra night is the key in all locations for extra spends,” Mr Davies said.
Mayor Graeme Hanger said Bathurst Regional Council was excited to see the NRMA investing in the city, saying the improved park would be appreciated when visitors pour in for different events.
Councillor Jacqui Rudge, who worked with the NRMA as a teenager, said the investment was a sign that, in regards to tourism, “what we are doing here is right”.
“They are a highly respectable organisation and they don’t invest in regional areas unless they see the potential in them,” she said.
