Crown land holiday parks year in review

Crown land holiday parks across the state helped generate $111 million in economic value to regional NSW in the 2022/23 financial year, according to Reflections Holiday Parks.

Reflections manages 39 holiday parks on Crown land across the state on behalf of the NSW Government and the state’s residents.

The organisation’s Year in Review document reveals the Category One Crown Land Manager, which reinvests all profits back into its parks and close to 9,800 hectares of reserve land it cares for on behalf of the NSW public, achieved the following:

• Welcomed 2 million guests across its 39 parks and camping grounds contributing $111 million (up 33% year-on-year) in economic value to regional NSW.
• invested $27 million over the year to improve its parks for guests and contributed $9.6 million to communities and nature reserves. 
• Grew its accommodation offering with 84 new roofed accommodation facilities, up 15% on the previous year and made possible via a $28 million loan from the NSW Government.
• Achieved $72.4 million in revenue and reinvested profits back into Crown land parks and reserves for the community’s enjoyment. 
• Launched its first Reconciliation Action Plan and developed a cultural tourism program that has seen a raft of Aboriginal educational activities hosted in its holiday parks. 
• Worked to monitor is environmental footprint and build a model for a ‘park for the future’, improving reservations and human resources platforms for the benefit of its employees and guests.
• Being named Employer of the Year at the Hospitality and Tourism Awards in Newcastle. 

Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said Reflections played an important role supporting and growing tourism in NSW.

“Reflections is the only holiday group in the nation that is a social enterprise, and its focus is to preserve and manage Crown land to provide residents and visitors with affordable nature-based holidays,” Mr Kamper said.

“These results show Reflections is working alongside regional councils, tourism groups and businesses to improve its parks and drive tourism to our regions.”

Reflections CEO Nick Baker said the holiday parks would remain a part of the social fabric of communities as they strived to reach a 2022 strategic plan goal of delivering $1.3 billion in cumulative economic value to regional NSW by the end of 2030.

“Reflections is committed to working alongside communities and what many don’t realise is that 94 per cent of the land we care for is nature reserve, and we partner with local councils and tourism organisations to improve the land for the people of NSW to enjoy,” Mr Baker said.