11 hours ago
Caravan owners fight to save their homes after 'heartless' council decision
Five generations of one family are grieving the end of a dearly-held tradition that has been in the family for decades. In just over three weeks, they will be expected to empty their caravans at Wooli Holiday Park and sign them over to the council, who will demolish them to make way for more tourist accommodation.
Jodie Hackett and her family are one of 136 holiday van owners across four parks in the NSW Northern Rivers region who were served a termination notice back in March. Clarence Valley Council informed the residents of Brooms Head, Iluka, Minnie Water and Wooli Holidays Parks that they had 110 days to vacate their site as their long-term agreements were being scrapped.
According to council, demand from tourists has increased 'significantly' in recent years, which prompted the move to end the agreements with the long term holders.
That deadline – June 30 – is fast approaching, with residents now taking legal action against the termination.
Currently, each owner pays council $98 a week to have their van on the site. The cost of the vans themselves vary greatly, but can be upwards of $50,000. Residents have been told if they can't take their homes with them, they can be signed over to council who will demolish them – but there will be no financial compensation.
For Jodie, the park holds a deep significance. Her husband's grandparents were the first to purchase a caravan at Wooli, which sparked a long-held tradition that they still enjoy to this day with their own grandchildren.
"It has just been such a massive part of our lives. It unites all the generations together in the one meeting place," she told Yahoo News.
Like other residents at the park, Jodie is seeking clarity from council, who she says have remained tight-lipped about any future plans.
"In order to change the use of Crown land under native title, it must be done with the consultation of the Indigenous tribes of that area. They have failed to do that. There was no consultation with the Indigenous people of the Clarence Valley whatsoever. So that's the first law they broke. Second one is, before you can change the usage of Crown land, you must have a plan of management in place. They have none. Zero."
She added that having a plan and communication from council would make the decision "easier to swallow".
Jodie said that while she can only speak for Wooli, she finds it hard to believe the decision has been made to accommodate an influx of tourists.
"The vans at the parks are empty most of the time," she said. "If it wasn't for the regulars that come there, there would be nobody in the park. Apart from the Christmas season and maybe one weekend through the year across Easter, that's it. The rest of the year, those towns, especially Wooli, are empty."
She fears removing the regulars from the park will have a flow-on effect across the town, as the residents help to support the bowling club, local cafes and restaurants and the pub.
Alongside those who use the vans for holidays, a number of full-time residents are worried they'll have nowhere else to go when their agreements expire.
As casual occupiers, residents are only allowed to use the site for 180 days per year, which means for the other six months they are vacant and cannot be used by anyone else.
But some owners have made full-time homes in their caravans, adding on permanent, council-approved fixtures like annexes, walls and roofs. It's a common belief in the community that council are aware of the residents staying beyond their 180-day limit, but have 'turned a blind eye' in the past.
'Now, all of a sudden, they're getting thrown out on the streets,' Tony Everingham, another holiday site owner, told Yahoo News.
Tony has been holidaying at the caravan park for more than four decades, and it's since become a central fixture for family get-togethers for his kids and grandchildren.
He's formed The Clarence Valley Semi Permanent Van Group to unite owners from all four parks who want to fight council's 'heartless' decision.
He told Yahoo that residents are distressed from council's 'complete disregard for the people involved'.
'We've had a lot of people suffering a lot of stress and a lot of mental anguish over the whole situation,' Tony said. 'I'm concerned about the mental health and wellbeing of a lot of these people. They're at their wits end.'
Park residents have lodged close to 100 applications to NCAT (NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal) as they've been left with 'no other choice', Tony said.
While the deadline looms little more than three weeks away, he's hoping the legal battle will buy more time for his community. In the meantime, they're 'in limbo'.
That termination notices be withdrawn
That existing agreements remain in place until plans of management are implemented
To be involved in consultation with any compliance issues (like adhering to the 180 days per year rule)
More time for residents to plan their next move
If their appeal fails, Tony said he will have no choice but to dump his van, the site of four generations worth of memories. Like many older vans in the park, it can't be towed or relocated due to age and modifications – many of which were required by council.
He said the 'happy' community who come together every year at Christmas and New Years will be 'taken away'.
'And most of these people will never come back. I think it'll be too distressing for them ever to return… I think it'll just tear them apart and they'll just want to try and walk away and somehow get over this experience.'
At a council meeting on Thursday, Deputy Mayor Greg Clancy fought for the residents, saying the time frame was simply unfair.
'There's been decades of non-compliance which has been overlooked, and suddenly it has to all be complying by the end of June. This is not a good decision,' he said.
Yahoo News has contacted Clarence Valley Council for comment.
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