Wantirna South caravan park to make way for 200 townhouses pending council approval

A CARAVAN park home to 200 battlers will make way for almost 300 townhouses as its vulnerable residents begin moving out ahead of their eviction date.

Residents of a Melbourne caravan park who have been given until January 2018 to move from their homes. Pictures: Jake Nowakowski

WANTIRNA Caravan Park will be bulldozed to make way for almost 300 townhouses if plans lodged with the Knox council are approved.

It comes as park residents have already started moving out ahead of their January 2018 eviction deadline.

High-rise developers with links to China bought the park last year, and almost 200 vulnerable permanent residents have been forced to find new homes.

A statement from PR company Royce Communications, on behalf of site owner LongRiver, said a planning application was recently lodged with the council for 294 dwellings in “medium-density townhouse styles”, with off-street carparking and a large park.

Peter Fry, who sufferes from emphysema, is among the caravan park residents who were given marching orders. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The statement said full details would be available once the council ticked off documents for public advertising.

Knox Council’s acting city development director Steve Dickson said the application was undergoing an initial assessment by council officers.

It is not clear if the plans include social housing, and it may not be a requirement.

In a statement to Leader, Mayor Darren Pearce said there were no obligations for developers to provide social housing as part of a new residential development, unless specifically negotiated as part of an earlier rezoning process.

Nola Nugent is another resident who must leave the park in 12 months.

But Cr Pearce said if the council approved development for the site, it could include conditions requiring social housing.

The council has a policy to increase the supply of social and affordable housing in Knox, and asks developers to include 5 per cent social housing in overall developments on larger-scale strategic developments sites.

Caravan park owner Andrew Yu has so far refused to discuss his plans directly, and there is no word if evictees will be offered compensation.

But Royce Communications confirmed residents of four cabins had already chosen to leave, plus a long-term resident who lived in a caravan and took it with them.

Leader has previously reported that Wantirna South homelessness support agency UnitingCare Harrison has vowed to do all it can to find new homes for evictees.