‘Fight of their lives’: Seniors rally to save Northern Rivers caravans homes from demolition

Heartbroken elderly residents across four Northern Rivers caravan parks are fighting to save their home, as the council moves to evict them to make way for tourists. See the video.

It was meant to be their golden years. Instead, elderly residents across four Northern Rivers caravan parks are gearing up for the fight of their lives, with officials rallying behind them as they battle to save their caravans from demolition.

The Daily Telegraph reported last month how Clarence Valley Council had advised more than 130 caravan owners – via a letter – that they needed to vacate their leased sites to make room for tourists.

Now, residents are considering legal action, while Nationals MP Richie Williamson and some councillors have pushed back against the decision to turf them all out by June 30.

For Sonya and Eris Hackett, 79 and 83, the prospect of losing their ‘home away from home’ is devastating.

Sonya, eyes wet with disbelief, led us through the tiny caravan they bought decades ago. Here, their children grew up, then their grandchildren. Now, it might all be taken away.

“It’s a lovely little home," Mr Hackett said.

Sonya and Eris Hackett, who have been coming to Wooli Holiday Park for 42 years. Their children recently bought into the park before the news was delivered. Picture: Natalie Grono

But the thing that really makes this place special is the people.

In the off season, it’s these semipermanent regulars that make up the soul of the park.

They fill an otherwise empty site, visiting the local pubs and bowls and sitting around the camp fire.

Without them, many locals tell us these parks would be empty.

“We have people come from all over to come to this park, they love it, they love the atmosphere here and the people,” he said.

The people are what Sonya will miss most. These days she is severely deaf.

Wooli is one of the last remaining places she can go where people still know how to talk to her. Here, she can hear.

“We have some beautiful friends here and with me being deaf I just love them,” she said, voice trembling.

“I don’t go anywhere else because I can’t hear. I don’t go to clubs, I don’t go to social things. This is just my life,” she says, voice trembling.

“They know I am deaf, they help me. It’s my life here. If they take that away I’ve got nothing.”

Moving the vans on is impossible. Eris motions at the wooden bunkers in the back of the caravans under a permanent annex.

“The man who built them said they would never move,” he said.

He was right. Like many of the caravans in the site, time and extensive renovations have worn away his caravan’s wheels and towbars. Now they are permanent structures.

That’s the problem, explains Tony Everingham, who has formed a committee to fight the decision.

Tony and Denise Everingham have formed a committee to fight the evictions. Picture: Natalie Grono

“Council has said we have to move them off site. A lot of these vans have been here 40 or 50 years, so while technically they are supposed to be movable, the reality is they are not.

“Council have approved various structures to be built here over the years that make them non movable. The only concession is council said if we sign them over to them they will bear the cost of removing them but there’s no financial compensation,” he says.

If the decision goes ahead, residents’ only option will be to demolish the site. While people like Eris and Sonya will have a primary residence to go back to, others like Roger House in Minnie Waters will be left homeless.

“I’ve lived here for nine-and-a -alf years. There’s no where else I can go. I am going to have to pitch a tent on the side of the road,” Roger said.

“You can’t rent a place on the pension. It’s financially impossible. This was basically one of the only ways I could have a house. This is going to take my life away from me.”

Army veteran Roger House has lived at Minnie Water Holiday Park for nine years and says he will have no place to go. Picture: Natalie Grono

Under current council rules semipermanent occupants are only allowed to live in their caravan for 180 days a year. However residents like Mr House say this rule has always been loosely enforced.

It’s understood the operational arm of Clarence Valley Council were behind the decision.

In a previous statement, Clarence Valley Council general manager Laura Black denied residents were being evicted.

“We’ve been able to accommodate casual agreements for some time but with greater demand, we have made the decision to return these sites for all to use,” Ms Black said.

“These sites are on public land and it’s important that all visitors to the holiday parks have the same opportunity to use these sites when holidaying,” she said.

Some Clarence Valley councillors, including Lynne Cairns have hit back at the move and claim they should have been consulted first.

“It should have been a council decision, it should have come to councillors to make the decision. It’s just out of the blue,” Cr Cairns said

“We have been told it’s been going on for ‘nine years or more’ yet council has allowed these structures to be plumbed into the park’s sewage and water, they have allowed them to construct enclosed annexes, verandas and roofs. They look like little homes,” Ms Cairns said.

Council has allowed residents to install permanent renovations, making the vans impossible to move.

Ms Cairns thinks the residents should have a ‘natural attrition clause’.

“I don’t think we should be doing this to our community,” she said.

“I didn’t get elected for that sort of thing, to put people out of their homes and for some of them it is their homes. They don’t have anywhere else to live.

“What the heck are we doing to our community, this is ridiculous.

“This should have come to the councillors. This is not an operational matter, given the impact this will have during the current housing crisis and the high cost of living, and us councillors should be absolutely appalled.”

Residents have vowed to fight the council notice.

Mr Williamson, the Clarence MP, said he was prepared to advocate for caravan park locals, especially those facing homelessness, to lobby for a larger notice period.

“What I would like to see here is for the council to provide more time for those affected to get their affairs in order,” he said.

“I understand the legislation gives a minimum 90 day termination but a longer period of time, with a sunset clause, would give them extra time to plan their own exit strategy with some dignity.

“I just want to see some fairness with this in regards to how long the holiday-makers are able to continue their leases. What I am calling for is a longer term exit strategy.

Mr Williamson is calling on council to give more notice to the affected 136 site owners to allow them time to plan their exit strategy with some dignity.