Couran Cove Island Resort: Why there's cause for celebration on South Stradbroke Island
DOZENS of residents on an exclusive Gold Coast island are celebrating after a major breakthrough in a months' long battle to restore a basic service to their homes. DETAILS >>>
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DOZENS of residents on an exclusive Gold Coast island are celebrating the return of warm showers and hot, home-cooked meals after going without for more than two months.
Two weeks ago, South Stradbroke Island residents co-ordinated a covert operation to restore gas supply to their homes by engaging a supplier to deliver equipment and bottles via barge.
Eco-cabin residents living in the Couran Cove Island Resort had been without gas since mid-August after their supply was turned off due to safety concerns.
Since then, gas services have been restored to 54 cabins.
Resident Sara Skipworth said the community banded together to make it happen after waiting two months for the island’s Community Body Corporate to act.
“This is a huge achievement, I think,” she said.
“It shows the community really wanted to come together.
“We feel we have done something really good for each other.
“We saw nothing was being done, so we did it.”
Ms Skipworth’s gas was restored two weeks ago.
“The small thing of having a hot shower is just really nice,” she said.
“I’m happy for the families here. The stress of their day has been hugely eased.
“They can come home and now they don’t have to boil hot water for their bath.”
In an email sent to residents in August, CBC chair David Rosenblum warned them against organising their own gas supply.
“Should any owner make any alterations to their dwelling, the CBC will be required to issue a breach notice to that lot owner and engage contractors, at the expense of the lot owner, to uninstall those works,” the email said.
Ms Skipworth reported there had been no repercussions since the gas was installed.
“We’re anticipating what might come of this,” she said.
The CBC was contacted for comment.
Secret operation to restore gas at Couran Cove - October 8
RESIDENTS of a Gold Coast resort have co-ordinated a covert operation to restore gas supply to their homes after two months without hot water or cooking facilities.
The secret mission was carried out on Thursday when South Stradbroke Island residents organised a gas supplier to deliver equipment and bottles via a barge.
Dozens of eco-cabin residents living in South Stradbroke Island’s Couran Cove Island Resort have been without gas since mid-August after their supply was turned off due to safety concerns.
There was a breakthrough in the saga two weeks ago, with the island’s Community Body Corporate (CBC) telling residents it would start converting to bottled gas supply within days.
Since then, some residents have been handed individual contracts to sign so they can get their gas back.But eco cabin resident Sara Skipworth said many residents banded together to organise their own gas supply because they didn’t receive a contract and were still without gas.
The residents engaged a plumbing company to install the gas bottles, with individual owners to pay for their own service.
The company was continuing to install the equipment on Friday.
Ms Skipworth said the delivery caused things to get “pretty heated” between island management and residents.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen today,” she said.
“The gas guy was (verbally) threatened.”
A CBC spokesman denied any threats were made against residents or staff from the gas company – which he said had not obtained approval from the operator or the CBC to install the gas.
“The gas connection (organised by the CBC) starts Monday – there was a delay from the contractor,” the spokesman said.
“Sara Skipworth has been presented with her contract and has not responded.”
He said other island residents were “furious” with those who had been involved in media reports over the past several weeks because they “continue to trash their investment” in the island.
The plumbing company managing director said someone from the CBC verbally threatened him over the phone.
“(They) told me they were going to sue me for trespassing,” he said.
Despite this, he said he was more than happy to help out the Couran Cove eco cabin residents.
“They have no gas and we have the ability to help – so that’s what we’re doing,” he said.
Why ‘majority of residents’ still have no gas - September 30
RESIDENTS of an exclusive Gold Coast resort are facing more roadblocks in their long battle to get a basic service restored to properties.
Dozens of eco-cabin residents living in South Stradbroke Island’s Couran Cove Island Resort have been without gas for more than six weeks after their supply was turned off in mid-August due to safety concerns.
There was a breakthrough in the saga last week, with the island’s Community Body Corporate (CBC) telling residents it would start converting to bottled gas supply within days.
Since then, some residents have been handed individual contracts to sign so they can get their gas back.
But many residents have told the Bulletin they will not sign the contract, including Judi Williams, who is legally blind.
Others say they haven’t received a contract at all.
Ms Williams said she was given 90 minutes to look over the contract and sign it, despite not being able to read it.
Some residents fear signing the contact will expose them to extra charges and leave island management with unhindered access to their properties.
Ms Williams said the document itself also looked “unprofessional”.
“I was given (the contract) while I was under pressure, with an hour and a half to read an 18-page document,” she said.
“The contract itself is very loosely worded, about all this other stuff you can be charged for.
“It’s unprofessional and to me, it looks like a generic document off the internet.”
Ms Williams said her refusal to sign the contract meant she was still waiting for her gas to be restored.
A CBC spokesman said the contract was modelled on similar contracts in place for “tens of thousands of other Australians”.
“It is modelled on the requirements for access and safety required by Queensland Government Gas Inspectors,” he said.
“We searched far and wide for the best price and believe we have secured it.”
Couran Cove eco-cabin resident Sara Skipworth said she had not received a contract or any communication about it.
She said some of her friends on the island with young children also had not received it.
A CBC spokesman previously said priority would be given to those with special needs, but the whole installation would be done over 10-14 days.
“A majority of residents are still without gas,” Ms Skipworth said.
“No one I know has gas. I have only seen one gas bottle installed on my street on a property operated by the resort.”
Body corporate boss rejects funding allegations - September 27
A COURAN Cove body corporate chair rejects an allegation it wrongfully withheld funds meant for fixing resort gas supply issues, saying it must reserve money for potential legal fees.
Dozens of eco cabin residents living in South Stradbroke Island’s Couran Cove Island Resort have been without gas for more than six weeks after their supply was turned off in mid-August due to safety concerns.
A spokesman for the resort’s Community Body Corporate (CBC) said it was unable to fix the gas supply issue sooner because the Eco Body Corporate refused to pass on funds it collected on behalf of the CBC.
SHOCK CLOSURE OF POPULAR GOLD COAST BUSINESS
These funds were needed to pay for the installation of a new gas bottle system, the CBC said.
Eco Body Corporate chair Dave Bowden denied the allegation, saying funds were paid on an agreed basis to the CBC.
Mr Bowden said the Eco Body Corporate had “responsibly reserved” some funds for legal fees, but denied money had been misappropriated.
“Eco has sent $458,000 to the CBC since our AGM in February,” Mr Bowden said.
“We have offered to send $100,000 more if the CBC would stop its court action and sit down with us in a mediation process. We have been asking for mediation since February.
“We have told them quite clearly that we must responsibly reserve money for legal fees if they continue to insist on court action.”
‘DISASTROUS’: WHAT WENT WRONG IN EXCLUSIVE COAST SUBURB
Couran Cove is subject to a complex body corporate structure and the gas dispute is just the latest chapter in a long-running saga on the island.
Bulletin investigations late last year and February this year uncovered messy internal fighting that included allegations of large amounts of unpaid debts, body corporate governance issues and legal matters.
The CBC spokesman said the Eco Body Corporate’s alleged refusal to pass on funds had caused “significant frustration and delay” to the process of fixing the gas issue.
Couran Cove owners were organising a petition calling on the eco cabin owners to pressure their body corporate to release the funds they collected on behalf of owners, the spokesman said.
“The majority of the Couran Cove owners have had a gutful of the selfish and manipulative actions …” the spokesman said.
The Eco Body Corporate collects levies from residents to pay for services including electricity gas, water, waste management and facilities.
But in a positive development for residents, CBC chairman David Rosenblum on Thursday said it would start the process of converting to bottled gas supply within days.
A CBC spokesman said the new gas supply was made possible after Lagoon and Marine Bodies Corporate “worked together and recovered sufficient levies to enable” the gas works.
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Originally published as Couran Cove Island Resort: Why there's cause for celebration on South Stradbroke Island
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