While there is often significant publicity surrounding the loss of ‘tourist sites’ in caravan parks as demand for long-term spots grows, the reverse is sometimes also true.
Clarence Valley Council on the NSW Mid North Coast has just issued notice to holders of casual holiday vans in Brooms Head, Iluka, Minnie Water and Wooli Holiday Parks, advising of the termination of long-term (casual occupation) agreements.
Clarence Valley Council, General Manager, Laura Black said the move was in response to the rapidly growing demand from visitors for tourist sites.
“These sites are on public land and it’s important that all visitors to the Holiday Parks have the same opportunity to use these sites when holidaying with their families and friends,” she said.
The decision to change the parks' make-up is a response to growing demand for tourist sites. PIC: Cizza
“We’ve been able to accommodate casual agreements for some time but with greater demand, we have made the decision to return these sites for all to use.”
The council says that, under a long term (casual occupation) agreement, holders have been permitted to use the site for up to 180 days per year, meaning that for the other six months of the year they sit vacant and are unable to be used by other visitors.
This instruction does not affect residents of permanent sites who reside in their primary place of residence at a Holiday Park.
“We are not ‘evicting’ residents, these are casual agreements and cannot be used as a permanent residence,” said Ms Black. “All users are required to have a primary place of residence elsewhere offsite.”
Of course, the decision has caused significant angst for the more than 100 casual lease holders across holiday parks in Brooms Head, Iluka, Minnie Water, and Wooli.
Many have built their lives around the assumption that they would be able to spend large chunks of their time at the sites and some, it seems, have been living there year round.
Ms Black acknowledged to the ABC that some leaseholders had been allowed to live at the parks by on-site managers.
“Historically, local governments haven’t always managed compliance well,” she said. “When I started at the council part of my remit was to sort out some of these legacy issues.”
Clarence Valley Council says it is now working closely with holiday park managers and holders of casual agreements, providing 110 days’ notice to terminate agreements and waiving all rental fees from March 13 to June 30.
“Some of these agreements have been in place for many years, and we realise that people may be disappointed or upset by this decision,” Ms Black said. “Council is taking steps to assist holders of casual agreements by increasing the notice period by 20 days, waiving fees while still occupying these sites and has offered to assist with removal of any semi-permanent structures that users don’t wish to take with them.”
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Let the existing residents of these type of places stay put.
Ejecting them for passing tourists would be cruel.
Find somewhere else to park your luxury caravan for the night.
Luxury Caravan owners should have preference over these empty shacks. We have 2 parks across the road from us here in Busselton with 90% permanent holiday shacks. If they’re not being occupied full time vacate site and let others use it.
I agree if you’re not there using it move it along so other’s can come in and enjoy, but also with this day and age there are people needing permanent locations and because of this situation in park’s that do take long-term residents we/they can’t get in, hog’s!
Absolutely. Many part time permanents have added bits and pieces to their homes or vans ie patios, spare rooms etc etc. Although many are neat some look like a third world nation. Some get very angry with tourists as they feel they own the park. Remember not all have luxury vans but we all spend money in the towns. This helps to keep shops open.
But Peter we do live in a thrd world country.
Nonsense
Let the existing residents stay according to their agreement.
Ejecting them for passing tourists would be cruel.
Book a car park in advance for a caravan for the night.
But that is the whole point! They are not staying “according to their agreement”! Their agreement states they can stay up to 180 days and then must vacate the site, but they aren’t vacating the site.
Remove them, from what i have seen they are very messy and run down to the max.
time for upgrades, I love the way they have the tow hitch on them and the wheels removed after 20 years, how would they be moved if needed anyway.
Maybe make the council spot checks and get them compliant or put up the rent.
True
Yes pay top dollar like everyone else, looking for a spot instead of getting fined for parking in a no parking area
These people also pay for 365 days and can only stay for 180.
Take into account when we had covid no one could travel but the council still took there money
for fees.
Which still topped up there accounts with no power or water being used.
I’m not sure of the state of these long term bays in the areas mentioned but I find that many of the caravan parks that have permanent residents (in WA) allow these spots to be so filthy and full of people’s junk that it totally discourages regular caravaners to visit these parks. Often these long term bays look like refuse sites and I tend to leave the caravan park and lose my payments rather than endure the appalling behaviors of some of the permanent residents in these caravan parks. I realise that people need somewhere to live but can’t they behave like human beings?
I think if we crunch the numbers. This is not about providing sites for everyone. It’s about generating as much profit per site.
If park owners are so concerned about providing sites for everyone, why not grow the available sites on more land?
That would provide sites for long termers who travel 6 months a year but like to have a base, and passing tourists who may not stay longer than a few days.
During the current housing crisis in 2025. Now is not a good time to put profits before people.
And so many parks have 28 day maximum stays. Living in a Caravan and being an honest hardworking tax payer is becoming very hard!!
If it is on crown land it is owned by all Australians. As taxpayers we have in some way or another contributed. We should all be able to enjoy these parks regardless of what type of caravan set up we may have. Of course permanent long term residents should be protected in accordance with lease agreements.
I agree. Don’t evict permanents (lucky buggers) but nowadays there is a high demand for less expensive holiday accommodation. So sorry casual occupiers.
I think the long term should be allowed to stay. It is their community all year round. And they contribute all year round to local businesses. I’m very tired of today’s mentality that the holy ” tourist,” should get precedence over a local person. After all aren’t we in Australia, the world all cash poor at the moment according to daily news? Struggling to make ends meet? How can you afford holidays as your yearly right? Hmmmm something doesn’t add up. Poor people yet need for tourism? Anyhow charity begins at home. Look after whoever needs the van to live in.
I agree that the permanent residents should be allowed to stay. From a business point of view – they bring in revenue all year round and help with cash flow at times when the park is pretty empty. If it’s their home where do they go? Why be so hard on them. We really need more parks for permanent and short term parking. With clauses that ensures you maintain a level of tidiness and enforce this. Including removal for illegal activities. As long term caravanners age they may not be able to get suitable rentals or enjoy being in retirement villages so let them settle in caravan parks where they feel comfortable.
The occupants are already finding somewhere else to live as they can’t live in these caravan park dwellings year round. Due to that clause alone, this renders these sites useless to man and beast for the remainder of the year. I agree they should either house people year round (especially in an era of housing shortage) or have no structure on them belonging to individuals but rather only the usual powerbox, water tap, grey water hose outlet and possibly a park owned ensuite box. The idea of a dwelling only available for a portion of a year and totally inaccessible the remainder of the year is a complete waste of land use.
On nsw coast many councils are replacing tourist van sites with cabins obviously for the increased revenue reduceing van sites
Bunkum. As if the parks’ management is interested in a fair deal for tourists. Tourists are a better source of income per site. Who do they think they are kidding?
I think it’s more money hungry councils but as someone commented some of the sites are disgusting but not just the short term ones the permanent ones too so clean up your mess or get out.
Leave things as they are. To throw these people out is cruel, for tourists who only come for short-term stays and often don’t return each year, going somewhere else. I do agree that tighter regulations need to be applied on keeping site’s neat, tidy and clean. The biggest problem we now have in this Country is a shortage of housing due to immigration being out of control and pushing our people into the only accommodation they can find and afford.
Why can’t the caravan park owners let these people stay longer, and charge accordingly.
It is like their week end house.
That is what has caused many of these problems. Caravan park managers have illegally let people stay longer than the 180 days they are allowed under the leasing laws. Now they assume they can park the caravan there the whole year, which is not legal under the casual agreements laws.
If they have been staying there constantly, it probably means they have no where else to live, so make them permanents. others that come, every holidays, if you want extra money off them, allow them to rent out their van for the time they are not in it. so then you get extra money. I enjoyed many a holiday in a friends permanent van at Woody heads before national parks took it over and kicked them all out. I couldn’t afford to buy a van myself, but the joy of camping there was amazing
I understand the decision, but some parks this is there only base income stream for the year to survive and run the park
The Parks in question are council run so I guess they can do without the steady income, or are they going to turn them back to Public Parks or sell the land for units in the end. Who knows don’t trust councils as most have done this to Council Parks across Australia in the past