In a sign of just how tight accommodation is getting in some regional communities – and how caravan parks are evolving – the operators of Victoria’s Lorne foreshore caravan park have set aside five sites for seasonal workers only.
The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority (GORCAPA) said the sites can accommodate four people each, and are being offered exclusively to the workers this summer.
The Surf Coast Times newspaper reports that the town’s limited housing availability has resulted in some businesses closing their doors due to a lack of employees who have been priced out of town.
On Census night in August 2021, results showed more than 60% of homes in the town were unoccupied, but many of those were listed on short-stay accommodation sites rather than them being available for rent at an affordable long-term rate.
More accommodation is needed for seasonal workers. PIC: Magic K / Pexels
GORCAPA is a part of a working group that includes local government, traders and community members who have been trying to source solutions to
“We are expecting one of the busiest peak summer seasons in recent years on the Great Ocean Road, which means an increase in demand for seasonal worker accommodation,” GORCAPA chief executive officer Jodie Sizer said. “As part of our role in managing the Great Ocean coast we are committed to supporting local towns to manage the influx of visitors and workers over this busy period … we are continually looking at opportunities to increase accommodation capacity for seasonal workers at visitor hotspots on the Great Ocean Road, particularly in Lorne.”
The Surf Coast Times reports that the 2022 Rental Affordability Index (RAI) revealed the Surf Coast has become ‘severely unaffordable’, with about 40% of an average annual household income required to secure a property at the median rent price.
The region has seen some of the highest rental increases in the country since the start of the pandemic.
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Not to mention Parks setting aside cabins and sites for mine workers