Caravan park residents told they have two years to pack their things

Long-term residents at a northern suburbs caravan park will likely all be evicted within two years whether a rezoning application is approved or not, the Planning Commission has heard.

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LONG-TERM residents at the KOA and Malak Caravan Park will likely all be evicted within two years whether a rezoning application is approved or not, the Planning Commission has heard.

At a hearing on Monday, planning consultant June D’Rozario, who has been retained by the park’s owner DiamondFan Pty Ltd, told the commission the park was “running at a loss” and its infrastructure was “at the end of its useful life”.

“The (planned) future development is to be staged and the principle purpose of that staging is to allow one caravan park to continue in operation while development of stage one is undertaken,” she said.

“So the long-term residents will have the opportunity to relocate to the remaining park and this will provide them with additional time, probably two years, to transition to alternative accommodation.”

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DiamondFan has applied to have the land rezoned as the first step in a proposed 168 home development at the site after purchasing the 50-year-old caravan park for $8 million in September last year.

Among the objectors to appear at the hearing was former seven-year park resident Marie Davis, who said DiamondFan’s claims about the business’s financial viability as tourist accommodation were “absolute rot”.

Long-term KOA and Malak Caravan Park resident Lynn Archibald has been told she will likely be evicted within the next two years. Picture: Jason Walls

“Years ago, when we first came here, the caravan park would be packed because it was a good caravan park, it was maintained, it had staff, now it’s been run into the ground,” she told the commission.

“As for them not making any money, that’s absolute rot, I worked in the office there for only a short time — they are making money, trust me.”

Current resident Lynn Archibald, who moved in in 2007, said after buying her caravan for $40,000 and spending another $30,000 doing it up, she and the other 50 or so long term residents would “lose everything”.

“We’re going to end up with rich people buying up these houses and renting them out such as for rich people to get much richer,” she said in her submission.

But Ms D’Rozario said there had been some “misapprehension” about the residents’ occupancy status, saying it was legally “not possible to give title to a specific van site” and the Land’s owner was only required to give three months’ notice before evicting them.

“I appreciate that there are long-term residents, some of whom have been there for a very long time and it’s unfortunate that the parks are now in a condition where it’s uneconomic to continue with their operation,” she said.

The Planning Commission will now prepare a report for the minister.

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