Across WA, peak tourist season sees thousands of happy holidaymakers choosing Summerstar Tourist Parks for rest and recreation. To keep showers hot and barbecues firing, reliable LPG supply is a must. That’s why Summerstar trusts Supagas to deliver.
Summerstar Tourist Parks is a family-owned business operating 17 sites – including caravan parks as well as other accommodations – across WA and SA and hosting up to 5,500 guests in peak season. To keep showers hot, camp kitchens humming and BBQs ready on cue, the group leans on Supagas’s nation-wide LPG supply network – and the service culture that underpins it.
“It’s the simple joys that shape a stay at our parks,” says James Corbitt, CEO of Summerstar. “People love to have a barbie in a caravan park. It’s a rite of passage where you meet at the barbecue and share a meal. Facilitating those simple joys is what we’re about; so it’s imperative that we be able to deliver them. We rely on Supagas for the BBQs, the cooking facilities in units, as well as the hot water systems in the ablutions and the accommodation.”
For James, the Supagas difference is evident every day: the truck that arrives on time, the local contact who answers on a Sunday, and their ability to solve unforeseen issues on short notice. “For a tourist park operator, many of your key amenities are run on gas, so running out of supply risks big financial and reputational losses. It’s essential for us that we have a partner like Supagas that we trust.”
Familiar faces across a broad terrain
Summerstar’s relationship with Supagas began when Kleenheat’s WA LPG distribution business was acquired by Supagas late last year. “Our account manager from Kleenheat, Peter Handgraaf, transitioned across to Supagas,” James says. “He has looked after all of our parks for a few years where we have or had bulk gas, and the relationship’s been going really well. It’s always been a positive experience, and it was a completely seamless transition from the Kleenheat to the Supagas brand. For us we still dealt with our usual contacts with whom we’ve built a rapport over the years, but now we know we have the benefit of Supagas’ greater reach and depth as a leading nationwide provider.”
Coverage is critical for a network that stretches from Kununurra and Tom Price to Esperance and across to Ceduna. “We like the regional span,” he says. “We need a supplier that can cover that span reliably with a consistent delivery timeframe and a competitive price. When we tender our gas contract, it’s chalk and cheese. No one can compete with that regional span and the pricing structure that we get from Supagas.”
What dependable looks like on the ground
Summerstar uses bulk LPG for amenities and hot water in cabins, with 200 barbecues across the group to keep social spaces alive. Being able to adapt quickly – especially in remote locations – is critical.
“It’s great for me personally to have Peter as my longtime and ongoing point of contact,” says James. “When you’re busy and you’ve got a number of things happening all at once – especially in crisis management – having that single point of contact and not going through a different person each time is hugely beneficial. Peter’s obviously got a great team working with him from Supagas, but from a logistical point of view it makes my life easier to have that direct line to Peter, as we’ve been working together for years.”
With tourist parks a 24/7 business, Supagas is ready to assist beyond the standard nine to five.
James recalls a recent weekend at Belair Gardens Caravan Park in Geraldton when an unexpected drop in gas supply could have caused disruption – but didn’t. “Jumping on the phone to Peter, he was able to organise a number of smaller cylinders straight out of the depot until the truck could arrive and top up our bulk cylinder,” he says. “They rigged up a manifold of four 45-kilogram cylinders to quickly deliver hot water and cooking options to our permanent residents.”
What’s next for Summerstar?
“We think there’s still opportunity to expand our regional footprint and our number of properties,” he says. “We’re also focused on organic growth from existing assets and bringing the group up with that journey.”
Sustainability is another focus, particularly given the natural sense of stewardship James and the Summerstar team feel for the many beautiful locations in which they operate.
“As part of mandated emissions reporting, we’ll be reporting in July 2027,” he says. “It’s important for us – especially in WA – to make sure we’re partnering with the right suppliers to meet our environmental goals. We’re reviewing our carbon footprint and emissions, and it’s very evident suppliers play a big part in that for us given our regional footprint. We know Supagas is well positioned to help us meet those requirements moving forward – in the same way they’d help with any other challenge.”
Check out Supagas’s latest news and offerings by clicking here.
To learn more about Summerstar Tourist Parks or to book a stay, visit summerstar.com.au