Old Banora park plan is a threat

A PLANNED $60 million development on the site of the once notorious Banora Point Caravan Park has again come under fire.

Dot Holdom, Kevin Skinner, Mike Rayner, Joan Van Lieshout, Warren Polglase, Barry Longland, Phil Youngbutt and Katie Milne. Picture: Blainey Woodham

A PLANNED $60 million development on the site of the once notorious Banora Point Caravan Park has again come under fire as setting a precedent for the demise of other residential home parks.

The last man to leave the formerly run-down park in May 2008, Lenn Hogg, who finally accepted a relocation of his mobile home to crown land in a council park at Pottsville, yesterday pleaded with Tweed Shire councillors to knock the upmarket redevelopment on the head.

Mr Hogg was among more than 100 residents slowly forced out of the former caravan park when the previous owner, Warren Tschannen, allowed it to deteriorate.

In 2007 Tschannen sold the park with about 20 permanent residents remaining to Gold Coast developer Bob Morrison, who planned to redevelop it into a residential resort being marketed as River.

Mr Hogg told councillors he objected to plans by Mr Morrison’s company to seek an alteration to development approval saying the earlier residents were “wrongly terminated.”

“A precedent could be set that would allow other parks to be developed bypassing residents’ rights,” he said. “I hope the councillors will see this $60 million development for what it is - clearly a back door residential subdivision that will operate under... approval to operate a caravan park.”

Mr Hogg said the NSW Residential Parks Act insisted park residents be given 12 months notice to relocate only after any development application had been approved.

He said some of the current proposals clearly required a new development application and failed to show that they were substantially the same development as previously approved.

He said changes to the earlier development approval sought to provide 148 “long-term sites” where mobile home owners once lived.

“Copies of documents provided to buyers state River is to be developed as a gated residential community living estate situated on the Tweed River with 999-year leases,” he said.

“Prices start at $385,000.

“Pictures show two and three-storey townhouses with a large riverfront area set aside for future development.”

A spokesperson for Mr Morrison said Mr Hogg was compensated by Morrison Group and the council and relocated at no cost to himself to a caravan park at Pottsville.

“He was granted lifetime tenure by council on that site, something which would not have been possible at a private park,” the spokesperson said.

“Morrison Group is working closely with the council to secure a better outcome for the site than what was ever achievable in the past.

“We look forward to improving the site in the future. We have only had one objection to our application that has been put to council.”

Originally published as Old Banora park plan is a threat