Couran Cove: Residents say they will ‘go off-grid’ as all services cut to island resort
Some 50 Couran Cove residents are vowing to stay put and live off-the-grid as all essential services, including water, power and sewerage are shut off.
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Defiant residents at a strife-torn Gold Coast island resort are vowing to stay put and live off-the-grid amid moves to cut off all essential services, declaring they won’t be “bullied’ from their homes.
About 50 Couran Cove residents still living at the South Stradbroke Island resort after power gas and water were cut in February amid a bitter body corporate dispute were digging in despite the operator warning that he would also shut off the sewerage system on Friday.
Residents who have already brought in generators, gas bottles and water tanks have begun installing spear pumps to tap groundwater, and are planning to put up solar panels.
They said they would use bucket water to flush toilets or an eco-toilet at the resort if the sewerage was switched off but vowed to fight what they claim are attempts to force them out of Couran Cove so it can be redeveloped.
“I am not going to stand by and let someone take this away from me - this is my home, I live here,” one emotional resident said.
“I don’t care what they do - I’m staying because this is my home. They’re doing this to try and get us out but there’s no way I’m budging.
“I’m a resilient person and I’m not going to break. I believe that I have the power within me to withstand whatever happens, so I’m staying regardless.”
A Department of Environment and Science spokeswoman confirmed it issued a written warning to South Stradbroke Caretaking Services on Wednesday about “compliance issues” at the Couran Cove sewerage treatment plant.
The environmental protection order issued to the company directed it to undertake specific actions within specific timeframes to remedy a risk or prevent further harm.
“(We) will take further enforcement action if required,” she said.
She said the department was working with Queensland Health and Gold Coast City Council to review ongoing environmental and public health risk issues at Couran Cove.
It is understood the operation of the community’s sewerage treatment plant is the subject of civil court cases between various entities on the island.
Former supermax prison governor James Laverty, whose family owns several homes at Couran Cove, said what was once a paradise was now a “pretty horrendous” place to live but residents were determined to return it to its former glory.
“We’re not going anywhere,” he said.
“Everyone’s trying to go off the grid. We’ve put in some spear pumps and are pulling nice, clean water from the (water) table. We’ve all got generators and we’re investigating putting up solar panels.
“We’re a very strong community and everyone’s got each other’s backs.”
Mr Laverty’s sister, Patricia, said the situation was “ridiculous”.
“This wouldn’t be happening on the mainland,” she said.
Ms Laverty said Couran Cove operator, high-flying Sydney businessman Simon Napoli, needed to sell the resort to “someone who cares”.
Mr Napoli claims his companies are owed more than $25 million and has accused resort body corporates of failing to pass on levies to pay for services.
But residents claim they have paid their body corporate fees and most arrears are owed by Mr Napoli and his associates.
The businessman has called on the State Government to step in and appoint an independent manager to try to resolve the long-running feud.
Earlier on Friday the operator of Couran Cove reissued a plea for the State Government to step in to help solve the “appalling situation”.
High-flying Sydney businessman Simon Napoli, whose companies provide services including power, water and sewerage to Couran Cove, has been at war with body corporates and property owners at the South Stradbroke Island resort for months.
Mr Napoli was preparing to turn off generators on Friday amid claims his companies are owed more than $25 million.
The resort closed recently, with up to 50 staff losing their jobs.
Mr Napoli has previously called on the government to step in and appoint an independent manager to Couran Cove in a bid to end the body corporate feud which has included a raft of court cases.
He said the Couran Cove had been plagued by “significant infighting” between its five body corporates for over a decade.
“We are again respectfully requesting the State Government immediately intervene and enforce a situation of independent management to protect the “mums and dads” who have made such a significant investment in Couran Cove,” he said in a statement.
“It remains our belief that an independent manager would be charged with the responsibility to stop all the litigation between the bodies corporate, which is seeing individual lot owners levy money being squandered and lining the pockets of expensive law firms.”
Mr Napoli said he did not expect people would be able to continue to live at Couran Cove once all services were cut.
“This would seem unlikely, given there will be no water, power or sewerage services because the bills have not been paid for more than 24 months,” he said.
“Since April 17, the operator has continued to provide significant essential services - in the order of $60,000 per week - to keep Couran Cove in caretaker mode.
“The body corporate committees have continued not making any payment for these services and defied court orders that they pay these debts.
“They have diverted most of the levies collected from owners – which should have been used to pay for essential services - to cover hefty legal fees. The total outstanding amount for all the body corporate committees now exceeds $25m.
“This appalling situation could have been avoided if the committee members simply complied with their legal obligations.”
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Originally published as Couran Cove: Residents say they will ‘go off-grid’ as all services cut to island resort
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