Jetty Caravan Park Normanville licence-holders prepare to fight for their piece of paradise amid $6m Yankalilla Council upgrade

Licence-holders at a Normanville caravan park are getting ready to fight for their piece of paradise, as the local council considers evicting them in favour of casual holiday-makers.

About 50 long-term licence-holders at a Normanville caravan park are fighting to save their piece of paradise, as the local council considers ending their tenures in a park overhaul.

Yankalilla Council, which owns the Jetty Caravan Park, will explore a proposal to remove the annual licence-holders in September 2024 to make way for more casual holiday-makers.

The council is completing a $6m upgrade of the caravan park, including installing 23 new cabins, and 13 annual licence holders on the park’s northern side already had their arrangements terminated late last year.

Elected members have voted for the caravan park to become a member of the Big 4 holiday park group.

A proposal to eventually end the leases of the remaining 50 licence holders on the park’s southern side was put on hold in February, with a report due back by May, so staff could investigate further and discuss the issue with Big 4.

Among those affected is Donald Wilson, who said some licence-holders had been there for two or three decades and estimated that on average, people would have spent about $40,000 on their site setups.

They often include an immobile caravan, annexe and other improvements such as gardens.

Annual licence-holders are allowed to stay at the caravan park for up to 100 nights a year, with contracts up for renewal every 12 months.

“Even though I’ve only been there a little while, I feel like I’m part of the community now,” Mr Wilson said.

Donald and Leonie Wilson at Normanville Caravan Park where their annual leasehold is under threat. Picture: Brenton Edwards

The Adelaide man said he was “chuffed” when he and his wife Leonie Wilson came across their holiday spot, which they share with his family.

“We thought, what a good idea to have a fixed spot without all the rigmarole of having a holiday shack and we didn’t want a movable van,” he said.

Mr Wilson said many of the caravan park’s casual sites sat empty for much of the year and he doubted the council would make more money through more casual spots than the guaranteed income brought by annual licence-holders.

Yankalilla Council chief executive Nigel Morris said the organisation made about $239,000 from the annual licence-holders, and could increase that income to $614,000 based on current casual site usage rates.

Some sites were 400sqm and could potentially be divided into two casual spots.

“(The) council can get more income for the community for rationalising the size of these places and making it more attractive,” he said.

Yankalilla Council chief executive Nigel Morris. Picture: Supplied

Many of the long-term sites at the Jetty Caravan Park include annexes and gardens. Picture: Brenton Edwards

Mr Morris said many of the long-term site holders bought the infrastructure on their places from previous users, incorrectly believing they had long-term security there.

This was despite the council making it clear arrangements were only secure for 12 months at a time.

“We’ve taken away the ones (on) the beach side, and people have realised that it’s not

going to go on forever,” Mr Morris said.

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