A controversial caravan park upgrade which saw more than 40 permanent residents forced to leave their homes has been declared a success.
Despite a high-profile campaign against the $3 million dollar revamp of Brighton Caravan Park in Adelaide, the work was completed last December. It saw the arrival of 14 new cabins, a new playground, a laundromat, barbecue area and toilet block.
Holdfast Bay Council figures show 18,115 people stayed at the park between December 1 and January 31, up 10% on the same period the year before. The park’s gross income for this financial year was also up by about 30% at the end of January, to $325,000 compared with about $250,000 during the same period last year.
Jane Gray, administration manager of FreeSpirit Resorts, which runs the park, told the Adelaide Messenger that word of mouth was behind the increase in visitors.
And the neighbouring surf club has also seen the benefits. Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club president Andrew Chandler said people coming in for breakfast and dinner at the club had increased by about 20%.
“We have seen a good increase in meals and even people coming in just for coffees,” he told the Messenger. “The caravan park has been a hidden gem in the area for a long time and now with the upgrade, people are realising what a fantastic place it is, and we are really starting to see the flow on effects.”
When originally submitted, the park’s re-development plans sparked a long legal battle as residents who had invested in what they thought was a long term-future fought eviction. Although they elicited high-profile support from the likes of independent senator Nick Xenophon and the star of the Castle, Michael Caton, they were ultimately unsuccessful.
• How can caravan parks get the balance right between permanent residents and accommodating tourist demand? Comment below.
