Maryborough to have RV village

COMING OUR WAY: Investors have backed an RV dream resort planned for Maryborough.

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MARYBOROUGH could become a genuine grey nomad hotspot after financial commitments for a planned RV village exceeded expectations dramatically.

Investors have jumped at the opportunity to have a stake in Queensland’s first lifestyle village for the camper van and motor home fraternity.

Peter and Noelene Shadforth, who designed the $70 million plan, had already poured more than $1 million of their life savings into it.

They offered investors 14 million shares in January of this year to further fund the project.

Eager investors oversubscribed to RV Homebase Fraser Coast, which will be based on 90 acres on the corner of Teddington and Iindah roads, by over $2 million.

The resort will give residents the ability to park a full-size RV alongside their home in fully serviced, undercover RV ports.

Australia’s caravan and motorhome community is estimated to include about 390,000 people.

Fraser Coast councillor Gerard O’Connell described the over-subscription as a vote of confidence in Maryborough.

“It’s really good that a unique development like this is oversubscribed,” he said.

“It’s not surprising if you look at the grey nomad statistics and see that these people are getting on the road earlier in life and in greater numbers. It’s the new boom home tourism market.”

The capital raising for the RV resort, undertaken with corporate advisers Wellington Capital, closed with a total $10.215 million in investment funds being committed.

This included a spread of small scale and sophisticated investors contributing to the total plus a number of active RV owners included in the mix.

Mr Shadforth, who is the chairman of RV Homebase, said the thorough planning of the project from the ground up contributed significantly to the solid investor support for the 210 home RV-focused residential village which will feature swimming pools, a tennis court, bowls club and camp oven.

“We’re aiming at grey nomads who want peace of mind when they’re on the road.

“The success of the capital raising demonstrates the market interest in the vision and gives us even greater financial strength to take on the project.

“Now the float is successfully behind us and the capital is in the bank, it’s exciting to be able to focus on creating a residential alternative that is not currently available in Qld, and bring the village to life.”

Only one other RV estate exists in Australia at Casino, NSW.

RV Homebase Fraser Coast will be publicly launching the RV village at the 2010 Caravan, Camping and Touring Holiday Show in Brisbane in June.