A BEACHPORT culinary tradition will continue into a 34th year after State Government legislation looked set to end the central location of the foreshore hot doughnut van.
Regulations which now govern mobile food van operation across South Australia threatened to force the Beachport and Rivoli Bay Lions Club to move its van from its prominent position alongside the war memorial rotunda.
The van has sold countless thousands of sugar-coated treats over the past 33 summers and generated significant revenue for the Lions, which has funded town improvements and donations to seaside community groups.
However, the central location looked in jeopardy as the State Government requires councils who adopt mobile food van policies to locate vendors well away from existing food outlets.
Wattle Range Council chief executive Ben Gower said there was strong community support for the doughnut van to remain by the rotunda and senior council staff had been in productive discussions with the Lions regarding a resolution.
He said legal advice had been obtained by council, which would resolve the situation under Section 221 of the Local Government Act.
According to Mr Gower, the Lions could remove the wheels from the van and it would then cease to be mobile.
“The Lions could apply to council for a permit which costs $40 per year,” Mr Gower said.
“We are close to reaching an agreement.”
Beachport and Rivoli Bay Lions Club doughnut van coordinator Mike Coonan has welcomed the resolution.
“We will lease a piece of road reserve from council,” Mr Coonan said.
“The Lions will make the van a permanent structure by adding lattice work and a deck.
“We will lobby local MP Nick McBride about the State Government legislation regarding mobile food vans.
“It does not make any allowances for community groups to stage fundraisers.”
In the meantime, the Lions are ready to cook doughnuts from 10am on Wednesday (Boxing Day).
Mr Coonan said the van would operate from 10am-6pm each day of the school holidays with longer hours on New Year’s Eve.
He said the doughnut van was a major contributor to the club’s coffers with the Lions able to return $70,000 to the community last financial year.
“We give back to the town,” he said.
“The doughnut van is staffed by Lions Club members and we get other volunteers from the Beachport groups we support.
“We put out the call to the school, Beachport District Development Association (BDDA), surf life saving club, pony club and the sporting clubs and we get support.”
Meanwhile, Wattle Range Council adopted its new mobile food van policy at its December monthly meeting with traders permitted at the Pool of Siloam and Centennial Park.
Under the policy, there are mobile food van sites permitted at Millicent, Southend, Rendelsham, Tantanoola, Glencoe, Nangwarry, Penola and Kalangadoo.
Councillors considered a report from development services director Steve Chapple.
It stated both council and the South Australian Tourism Commission had received a number of negative comments and complaints in relation to not being able to sit down for a meal and or access takeaway food in the coastal communities of Beachport and Southend during the last peak season.
“This heightened demand and limited food venue options during this period led to long delays for tourists and locals with some customers being turned away,” Mr Chapple said.
“Since September of this year, council started discussions with the business associations of Beachport and Millicent to inform them of the mobile food vendor location rules and process to grant a permit.
“In response to the above consultation, a public meeting was held at Beachport in late November to discuss the mobile vendor legislative changes.”
Mr Chapple said the BDDA had conducted a community survey about the location of mobile food vans.
“It is proposed that due to the requirement to have these location rules in place before the holiday trading period, that another review of the ‘location rules’ and policy will be undertaken after the Easter 2019 period.
“This review will consider all feedback that occurred over the summer period in relation to the mobile food vendors.”
During discussion of Mr Chapple’s report, Councillor Graham Slarks said he had been a “disgruntled” tourist at Beachport last summer.
“I could not get a coffee or chips and I had to go home and have spaghetti on toast,” Cr Slarks said.
BDDA president Roz Brown welcomed news the Lions doughnut van would still operate at the Beachport rotunda.
“There are mixed community views about the location of the mobile food vans,” Ms Brown said.
