By Dennis Amor
Have
your say
A TELEVISION presenter has apologised to outraged caravanners after his
on-screen comments about free camping caused a furore.
"Please accept my sincere personal apologies for the hurt and distress
that the segment caused," What's Up Downunder host and caravan
park owner Frankie J Holden told them through Caravanning News.
"It was a total 'stuff up' and I'm very sorry that I was involved."
Furious caravanners swamped Channel 7 and an online caravanners' forum
with protests after he took a swipe at free camping during the popular
Saturday afternoon show, claiming it was a threat to the livelihood of caravan parks
and their operators.
"Free-camping holidaymakers may save a few dollars but they often leave a
mess, deplete resources like water and waste services while genuine paying
customers miss out or are forced to subsidise the practice through
increased fees and charges," he told viewers.
"So next time you are tempted go free camping at free facilities spare a
thought for the hardworking holiday park operators, many of whom have
invested their lives in creating a great tourism facility.
"Helping a mate is an Aussie thing to do ... just imagine if they weren't
there."
But angry members of the online
Caravaners Forum claimed Mr Holden's comments tarred all
free campers with the same brush, irrespective of how well they behaved,
how environmentally friendly they were and how much they contributed to
the local economy near camping areas.
They also maintained that being a caravan park owner himself, Mr Holden
had a vested interest.
"We should be
free to choose" |
"In our experience of many years of caravanning around Australia we are of
the opinion that it is rarely the overnight campers or caravanners who
leave rubbish around, but the day trippers," wrote one member.
"This is especially correct in the case of grey nomads who appreciate the
beauty this country but will often find themselves having to clean up
after others before they can camp."
And another wrote: "Surely the greatest thing about living in Australia is
the fact that we have a choice.
"We should all be free to choose whether we free camp or use caravan
parks, and Frankie J has no right to use his five minutes of fame to mark
all free campers as vandals who trash our countryside. It's just not
true."
One contributor to the debate took exception to the implication that free
campers were litterers, destroyers of small businesses such as caravan
parks and that they were un-Australian.
"Those dictatorial and totally unjustifiable comments, F.J., are what's
really un-Australian," he fumed.
Mr Holden, who owns a caravan park on NSW's Far South Coast, explained
that the controversial segment was written by producers of the show and he
had read it as part of his professional obligations.
"That was a mistake on my part, and I acknowledge that," he told
Caravanning News.
"As I read this particular script, alarm bells did go off in my head but I
ignored them. The reason I pressed on regardless was that my mind was
occupied by other matters.
"The voice-overs for that episode were done in a rush as I was keen to get
the next 'plane to Port Macquarie to attend to my dad, Harry (who has also
appeared on What's Up Downunder).
"He had been taken to hospital that morning and his prospects were not
good (he was 92). So although I had real misgivings about the content of
the offending segment, I just wanted to get the job done and get up to my
dad.
"So that's how I came to read that segment. Let me repeat: it was a
mistake and I acknowledge that."
Mr Holden realised many people had been offended and hurt by its content.
"But there is an issue at the heart of this, and that is there are places
where camping is not done on a level playing field," he continued.
"By that I mean places where councils open up areas for 'free camping' but
don't put themselves through any of the hoops and hurdles they impose on
park operators like rates, taxes, leases, insurances, compliance
certificates, etc etc," he said.
"Most park operators are mum and dad businesses, and their hard work and
savings over generations can be jeopardised."
Mr Holden used an analogy to emphasise his point.
"Suppose you operated a cafe and fulfilled all the requirements that
governments put in place, like insurances, rent, penalty rates for staff,
safe food handling, power, opening hours restrictions or demands and
licensing requirements, etc etc etc.
"You've had this cafe for years, run it well, employed local kids and
contributed to the local economy.
|
"I would have canned it . . . " |
"Then the council opens up a cafe next door to yours ... and doesn't make
it fulfill any of the demands that it makes of your business but gives
away its food and coffee for nothing.
"It doesn’t employ or train any local people either.
"Would you, as the operator of that cafe, think that was fair? Probably
not, eh. I think that issue is what that clumsily-worded and incorrectly
targeted segment on What's Up Downunder was trying to highlight.
"However, I believe the issue needs to be discussed with government and
regulatory bodies and in a different forum than a television programme
aimed at consumers, not law makers.
"I love my involvement in this industry ... as a traveller, a promoter of
the lifestyle, a park owner and as an Aussie.
"I've been in the public eye for over 35 years now, and I like to think
that people have observed my character over that time.
"I sincerely hope this unfortunate incident does not sully their opinion
of me or What's Up Downunder. We made a mistake, and all we can do
is apologise."
Executive producer Warren Parrót told Caravanning News that had he
known about the content he would not have let the segment go to air.
"I would have canned it in the first place," he said.
"We have produced over 160 shows on caravanning and this is the first time
that anything like this has ever been so controversial. It's a touchy
subject ... like a hot potato."
Mr Parrót said the segment was a "one-off" and would not air again.
