Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park users push to save beloved camping and caravan site

A CARAVAN park that has been part of southeast Queensland’s heritage for more than 100 years is under threat of being turned into a car park.

Campers have been enjoying the caravan park for more than 100 years. This picture is from 1949.

ALMOST 3000 people have signed a petition claiming the Sunshine Coast Regional Council is in breach of a state policy, as part of a continued effort by an action group to stop a beloved beachside caravan park from being replaced with a carpark from July.

The Queensland Government e-petition closes May 19 and claims the government is allowing the Sunshine Coast Regional Council to close down the Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park to turn it into a car park “in direct breach of the Queensland government’s Caravan Park Policy (PUX/901/102) which states that any caravan park on State-owned land will be prevented from closure and that the policy will be applied to all caravan parks”.

The petition, which can only be signed by Queenslanders, goes on to request the House apply the Caravan Park Policy to prevent closure of the holiday park immediately.

Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park positioned along the waterfront at Moolooaba. Picture: Megan Slade.

“We also request the Queensland Government should confirm its intention to abide by the Caravan Park Policy to prevent the closure of other beachfront caravan parks which are presently at risk of closure: Coolum Beach Holiday Park and Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park on Parkyn Parade.”

The Sunshine Coast Regional Council voted in December 2015 to close the longstanding caravan park once their lease on the state-owned land ends on June 30, in order to incorporate the land into their long-term Place Making Mooloolaba Master Plan.

But the 330-strong Save Mooloolaba Caravan Park Action Group members have fought for the past couple of years to save what has been dubbed Australia’s best caravan park, as it is believed the 34-van space park is one of the last remaining areas with beachfront access for caravans.

It is at least the second petition spearheaded by the group, which is continuing the fight to preserve the spot, despite the council already voting to close the park.

The spot was originally a campsite before becoming a van park about 30 years ago and is constantly booked out.

The park is believed to be about 100 years old, with children who used to camp in tents on the land returning as adults with their own children and grandchildren to the same site over many decades.

Action group member, Jon Erbacher, 32, of Ashgrove, said a change.org petition with more than 4500 signatures was also handed to the Sunshine Coast Council prior to their 2015 decision to close the caravan park.

That petition was also submitted to the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection in support of a heritage listing application, which was ultimately rejected.

The Place Making Mooloolaba Master Plan outlines a long-term vision, which brings four precincts together to revitalise the foreshore and esplanade, the Mooloolaba heart, the Southern Gateway and the wharf.

The council’s tentative plans are to first turn the caravan site into a temporary carpark while another one on nearby Brisbane Road undergoes an upgrade.

Once that has been completed, the plan is to turn the area into grassed parklands, including having a rock pool, a kiosk building, playground, barbecues, shelters, fitness equipment and a coastal path connecting Mooloolaba with Alexandra Headland and Maroochydore, which would go right through where the holiday park now sits on the beachfront.

A family at the Mooloolaba Beach Esplanade Caravan Park in 1977.

A spokesman for the Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Dr Anthony Lynham, said the department introduced its Caravan Park Policy to provide guidelines for caravan parks and camping grounds on state-owned land.

“The policy identified 24 caravan parks throughout the State that will be preserved, with the Mooloolaba Esplanade Caravan Park not specifically listed under the policy,” he said.

“Although Mooloolaba Esplanade Caravan Park is not specifically listed as one of the 24 caravan parks identified, the policy does aim to ensure affordable accommodation is maintained throughout the state.

“Council has still not formally lodged an application relating to future use of the site to DNRM for consideration. As such, the government has not yet made a decision on the future of the state-owned site beyond Sunshine Coast Council’s lease expiring on 30 June 2017.”

The spokesman said although the Sunshine Coast Regional Council had not yet advised the department that it did not intend to renew the lease, so the area would remain as open space until a decision was made.

“Whilst it is regrettable to some that the caravan park will not continue, the site will remain as public space and maintain the foreshore access so important to Queenslanders,” the spokesman said.

A Sunshine Coast Regional Council spokeswoman said the changes would increase the public beach and parkland available for all visitors to enjoy.

“Sunshine Coast Council is still progressing the foreshore parkland design for the land where the caravan park is currently located,” she said.

“During consultation for the Place Making Mooloolaba Master Plan, more than 70 per cent of people supported relocation of the northern caravan park sites to allow for more community space and more than 60 per cent asked for more car parking.”

Mr Erbacher, who grew up holidaying at the site with his family, said the action group was waiting for a formal response to their petition from the government as to whether they are going to protect any caravan site on state land.

“It has been part of Sunshine Coast heritage for more than 100 years now,” he said.

“It started out as a tent site in the early 1900s and that progressed over the next hundred years, with the council eventually taking it over and charging people fees.”

Ross Beasley, 71, of Albany Creek has been holidaying at the park for more than 65 years and started out camping in tents.

The Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park in 2017.

“My earliest recollection there was at the age of four,” he said.

“We’d go for a family holiday, to that spot mostly, in December and January.

“I’d spend the days surfing.

“Eventually I took my girlfriend Gail there and now she has been my wife of 49 years now.”

Mr Beasley said they then took their three daughters to the same caravan site every year when they were younger.

“The rock pools and things out the front are terrific for kids to play in, especially at low tide,” he said.

Mr Beasley said it also only cost about $60 per night in a caravan, making it still affordable for families, as opposed to nearby units that required a three-night stay in order to average a price of $150 per night.

“A lot of families don’t want to go to units. In a caravan park, you get to interact more with other families, sit down and have a coffee with them,” he said.

But Cr John Connolly said closing the caravan site was part of the bigger picture of the master plan.

“Mooloolaba is growing at an alarming rate and we have to keep up with it,” he said.

“There is a very small group of people that don’t want the change. I can understand their point of view, but this is for a greater community good.”

Originally published as Mooloolaba Beach Holiday Park users push to save beloved camping and caravan site