The Caravan and Motorhome Club of Australia, which creates maps and reviews of tourist hotspots, has been in talks with Maitland City Council ­representatives that could boost the economy.

Cr Steve Procter secured a commitment from council earlier this year to install a sewage dump point for recreational vehicles, but these latest talks indicated strong interest from the club, upping the tourist dollar stakes.

“They’re keen to put Maitland down as an RV friendly city,” Cr Procter said.

To clinch the deal, Cr Procter said council would need to build on Gregson Reserve.

“There are a lot of towns and cities that are flying their RV-friendly flag proudly,” he said.

“We believe a [third] caravan park for Maitland will happen regardless; there are no caravan stays in Maitland, which is widely known.”

Cr Procter said it would not take business away from a new caravan park.

“Some of these people just won’t go into a caravan park,” he said.  “But if they want to go sightseeing for a longer period [than 72 hours] they’d book into a caravan park.”

Cr Procter said these people, on two or three day stays, would most likely check out the art gallery, grab some lunch, head off to Morpeth and have a coffee.

“They’re not just buying petrol,” he said.

“They support service industries because these are their homes and like any home you are continually spending money to improve it.”

Cr Procter, recently returned from a caravan adventure through Victoria and South Australia, said the free camps generally cost between $10,000 and $100,000 to establish. 

He said the cost would depend on what pavement and amenities were provided but felt the return on investment would be strong.

“A lot of towns are proud to have [RV-friendly] signs and for good reason.”

Cr Procter’s proposal will be assessed by an engineer in the coming weeks and will be considered during the June budget review as part of Maitland plus-10.