Mudgeeraba Holiday Village: Jonic Group to revamp Gold Coast caravan park dubbed ‘Third World’
It’s been dubbed Australia’s worst caravan park and this is the true story of how it became the horror site. INSIDE STORY >>>
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IT’S been dubbed Australia’s worst caravan park and a blight on the Gold Coast’s holiday strip - but that could soon change.
Ahead of the planned revamp of the Mudgeeraba Holiday Village, take a look back at the venue’s seedy past.
APRIL 2015
IT looks like a community in a Third-World country but this is the home of 100 residents living in extreme poverty just 10km from the Gold Coast’s Glitter Strip.
These are the people of the Mudgeeraba Caravan Village where drug use is rampant, police are called daily to incidents and ambulances will only enter with a police escort.
People were shocked when goldcoastbulletin.com.au published images of the deplorable living conditions. The owner of the Mudgeeraba Caravan Village spoke out at the time — defending the park and saying he was working to upgrade it.
Bob Purcell said in 2015 only a small portion of residents abused drugs and the village would soon be improved.
“We’re just finishing off a new cabin and I have put in 15 or 16 new cabins. The pool is empty because we are going to renovate it,” he said.
An old bus, a container and a ragged mishmash of tarpaulins and caravans were home to more than 100 people in this sad place. One of the tenants lived in an old, green bus and another in a blue container.
An elderly, bearded man had lived in the park for 11 years.
He had no running water in his dilapidated caravan and used a bucket of water to flush his toilet.
Another painfully-thin man with leukaemia chose to not have treatment.
A disgusting smell emanated from the ablutions block and the park was so dusty and rundown, it’s hard to believe it is actually in Australia.
There are 70 sites at the park, which was visited every week by an organised team of Christian volunteers from Transformations Ministries who delivered food and show compassion.
The residents were cautiously friendly, welcoming the visit and the care shown to them.
The exception was a manically angry woman, possibly fuelled with crystal methylamphetamine or “ice”, who charged out of her dilapidated caravan when she heard people approach.
In a psychotic state, she hurled abuse, swearing and thrashing around as she ranted.
Every Friday, Transformations director Matthew Russell and program co-ordinator Mark Farrugia led a team of volunteers to the park where they build relationships with the residents.
“We want to bring the love of God to one of the worst places I have seen on the Gold Coast,” Mr Farrugia said in 2015.
“Our job is to show these people unconditional love, respect and support. We visit there with no strings attached and we want to show residents that Christians are there for them. We do not judge in any way.
“Transformations is a drug and rehabilitation service so we can also help any residents who have drug or alcohol addictions.”
Mr Farrugia said some people needed many attempts to make a success of their lives.
“We can’t just write off residents of this park who may be dysfunctional and have messed up. They deserve another chance to get things right,” he said.
“We are appealing to churches on the Coast to come together to tackle this social issue.”
Since 2013, the Mudgeeraba Caravan Village was the focus of 10 to 15 representatives of church, welfare and government agencies, as well as the Gold Coast City Council, all attempting to improve the quality of life of tenants.
However, police are almost daily visitors at the Mudgeeraba Caravan Village and the area
was deemed so unsafe that ambulances only go there with a police escort.
Sen-Sgt Mark Anderson, officer in charge of Mudgeeraba Police Station, said police were called out daily to the park to deal with assaults, domestic violence and incidents related to drug and alcohol abuse.
“We try and get children out of there as quickly as we can. It’s easier for us to deal with incidents if there are no children around,” he said at the time.
“This caravan park can be dangerous but it’s pretty safe before noon.
“However, once residents start on the drugs or alcohol, the situation deteriorates.”
Sen Sgt Anderson said it was sad to see people living in abject poverty only 10km from the Gold Coast’s Glitter Strip and he was hopeful that if living conditions were improved, residents’ quality of life and behaviour would also lift.
He was one of the founders of a working group with the aim of raising the standard of living in the park.
“This would help reduce the amount of trauma going on there. There has been some improvement but not a dramatic one,” he said.
Area councillor Glenn Tozer, chairman of the Mudgeeraba Caravan Village Working Group, said some residents had very difficult personal experiences.
“I am deeply appalled by the conditions they live in and the tragic circumstances of some of their lives,” he said at the time.
HOW WE HAVE REPORTED THE HOTEL OVER THE YEARS
“There have been times when the conditions there have been horrific.”
Cr Tozer said there were a number of variables, which made it difficult to improve residents’ lives, including mental illness, alcohol and drug abuse, unemployment and broken family relationships.
“Our key objective is to have compassion for the people in this park, while still upholding legislation that keeps our community safe,” he said.
“For example, this is one of the few caravan parks in the city which allows residents to keep dogs and we hope this helps improve the quality of life of residents.”
The owner also defended his tenants, and said it was only a handful of people who abused alcohol and drugs.
He cited the case of a man who lives in a bus, which looked extremely run-down. Bob said the man had a job and did not use alcohol or drugs.
“The inside of that bus has been done out. He’s done it up real nice,” he said.
“A lot of people don’t want to leave. This is our home. There is worse violence in other places.”
Radical plan for Coast’s ‘Third World’ living hell park - July 8
IT’S been dubbed Australia’s worst caravan park, a “third world” living hell, and a blight on the Gold Coast’s holiday strip.
That reputation is tipped to change, with new owners of the Mudgeeraba Holiday Village promising a new era for the Gold Coast Springbrook Rd property.
Derek Nicholson and Mark Johnson - the two men who helped make Broadbeach’s Oracle towers a success - have in tandem with a Sydney partner bought the 2.4ha village and already have renamed it the Rainforest Rental Village.
They describe the village, which is in a rainforest setting fronting Mudgeeraba Creek, as severely run down.
The partners, keen to give the village some much-need love and attention, have started a major clean-up and have stripped out the manager’s residence and office.
“The park has had a notorious and unenviable reputation in the past but that is about to change,” Mr Johnson said.
“We have a fantastic opportunity to create a clean, affordable and safe village for retirees, close to all the services Robina has to offer, while in such a peaceful and quiet setting.
“The majority of our residents have signed long leases and are very excited about the plans we have in store for the village.”
Mr Nicholson said refurbishment of existing cabins and vans in the 60-site village, plus the construction of new cabins, was under way.
He said there was a plan to stage works over two years to minimise the impact on existing tenants.
“We are on the acquisition trail looking to buy a number of holiday parks close to major centres in order to service the overwhelming demand for affordable rental accommodation from retirees on the aged pension.
HOW WE HAVE REPORTED THE HOTEL OVER THE YEARS
“Our research over the years has shown the affordable rental space has been in severe undersupply and this has especially been the case for retirees on disability or the aged pension.
“The institutional market is obsessed with luxury retirement projects but the reality is it’s the affordable end of the spectrum where the majority of people lie.”
Mr Johnson and Mr Nicholson met when working for Lend Lease, later were employed by Oracle developer the Nikiforides family’s Niecon group, and today run the Jonic group.
The Jonic group which has developed residential and retail projects in Brisbane and North Queensland.
Originally published as Mudgeeraba Holiday Village: Jonic Group to revamp Gold Coast caravan park dubbed ‘Third World’
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