Plan to end ‘complex’ Couran Cove stoush revealed

With some residents forced to live without power and water, the operator of embattled Gold Coast resort Couran Cove has revealed his plan to resolve the ‘war’.

• Body corp slams resort operator’s claims

An independent manager could be appointed to troubled Gold Coast island resort Couran Cove by the Palaszczuk Government in a bid to resolve a “war” which has seen power and water cut off to dozens of residents.

Embattled Couran Cove operator Simon Napoli has revealed the plan was raised in crisis talks with Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman and government officials last week.

In his first interview since his companies controversially cut essential services to about 120 properties at the South Stradbroke Island resort, the Sydney businessman told The Courier-Mail he was not the villain in the “complex” dispute and was doing his best to resolve it.

He also strongly rejected claims by some residents that “corporate bullies” were trying to force them out so the resort could be sold and redeveloped.

Couran Cove boss Simon Napoli. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Mr Napoli said his companies, which have run Couran Cove since 2019, had been forced to act after body corporate arrears mounted to more than $20 million.

He alleged two of the resort’s six precinct body corporates had failed to pass on levies to the central Community Body Corporate, leaving “innocent mum and dad” property owners “caught in the crossfire”.

“The system relies on that chain of money to flow in order for the place to survive,” Mr Napoli said.

“We feel for the people who have been affected because we see them as the innocent victims in the situation, caught in the crossfire of a body corporate war.

“There’s so much misinformation and that’s why we’re coming out now.”

Couran Cove residents were without water, electricity, and other services for several days due to legal and body corporate disputes. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Mr Napoli said contrary to some reports, his company had helped relocate affected residents and was spending about $80,000 a week to continue to provide sewerage, gas, security and garbage services to residents whose power and water had been cut off.

He said about 240 homes still had power and water and called on residents whose services had been cut to lobby their body corporate presidents to “pay their bills”.

Mr Napoli said “complex” court proceedings were underway and a receiver had been appointed to the CBC after a Supreme Court judgment for $10 million in body corporate arrears.

He said during the meeting with Ms Fentiman, he backed calls for an independent investigation into Couran Cove as well as the appointment of an external manager “to deal with the situation unemotionally”.

The entrance to embattled Couran Cove. Picture: Tertius Pickard

Mr Napoli said plans for Couran Cove included a new “glamping” ground on the surf side of the resort and a possible hotel development, but the body corporate dispute had to be resolved first.

He said his companies had sunk more than $40 million into Couran Cove and “I don’t intend to throw in the towel”.

“It is taking a toll personally because we’re investing a lot of time and energy into trying to resolve a really difficult situation,” he said.

“I love the island, it’s a beautiful place, I holiday there with my children regularly. I wish the situation were different. I wish that the body corporate committees had shown good faith and just paid their bills – then we might not be in the situation we’re in.

“The intention is to work with the stakeholders, come up with the practical solutions to sort out all the infighting between the body corporates and get on with business.”