Consumer Affairs Victoria visits Wantirna Caravan Park amid rent hike concerns

UPDATE: The future of Wantirna Caravan Park is up in the air, with its new owners confirming they are “investigating options”.

Trevor Russell fears for the future of his home at the Wantirna Caravan Park. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

UPDATE: The future of Wantirna Caravan Park is up in the air, with its new owners confirming they are “investigating options”.

Now park residents fear the site will be developed, leaving them without a home.

Consumer Affairs Victoria visited the park recently after concerns about the owners, Wantirna Park Estate, hiking up the rent, in some cases by more than 50 per cent.

Trevor Russell, 60, was shocked to get a letter which said his weekly rent of $124 would increase by $64 — 52 per cent — from November 14.

Wantirna Caravan Park tenants say they may be forced out because of rent hike

Mr Russell said residents recently met to call on the park owners to give them a guarantee of a three-year lease, with the option of another three years.

He believes the owners have plans to develop the land.

“You can see they are going too; it’s such a prime piece of property, central to hospitals, shopping centres, everything is here,” Mr Russell said.

There are fears the new owners of the Wantirna Caravan Park will sell up to develop the site. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

“We want to know we have that extension so we know we have at least six more years here.

“If (the owner) ... decides to sell, we’re going to have to try and seek some sort of agreement, (of compensation) for our dwellings.”

The owners have engaged PR agency Royce Communications, which sent a statement on behalf of the park’s management last week.

The statement said the owners and managers were “investigating their options regarding the future of the park”.

“We look forward to sharing our plans with residents and neighbours as soon as we are able,” it said.

The statement said park management had recently met with Consumer Affairs Victoria to discuss proposed changes to rental rates, which aimed to align rates with the market average of comparable parks.

It said until they had received a report back, it was premature to comment on any change to proposed rates.

Consumers Affairs Victoria would not comment on its recent visit to the park.

Spokeswoman Kim Healey previously told Leader that residents could apply for an independent assessment of a rent increase and the authority would then compare similar parks, to see if the rent increase is excessive.

She said they could then help the resident and park operator reach an agreement about a rent increase, or if an agreement was not reached, the renter could take the matter to VCAT.