Saturday, November 2, 2024

Three residents to be evicted from Tasmanian caravan park after stoush with management

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In short:

Three residents of a northern Tasmanian caravan park will be evicted from their long-term sites after an alleged “campaign” against park management.

Earlier this year, the park notified residents the council would investigate non-compliant caravan and cabin annexes on sites.

What’s next?

Tasmania is the only jurisdiction without legislation on caravan park living, which the state government is looking at changing. Meanwhile, dozens of residents are yet to find out which of them will be given notice to leave.

When John Lowe found out in February he was at risk of losing his home, he leapt into action.

At the time, Mr Lowe had been living at a seaside caravan park in northern Tasmania for 18 months, where he is described by the park as a “guest”.

He formed an association to represent the approximately 65 long-term residents of the Beauty Point Tourist Park after they received a letter from park management advising the local council would be “investigating” vans and annexes within the park that could be considered permanent and non-compliant with building or planning regulations.

The letter stated non-complying residents could be evicted.

In his advocacy for the group, Mr Lowe posted to social media about concerns with park management, such as the threat of evictions and park management rules.

At the time, park management said that it had called on the state government to put a moratorium on compliance action by local authorities against existing residences and to introduce legislation to give caravan park residents more rights.

But now Mr Lowe is worried the park is preparing to kick him out for a different reason.

Long-term tenants at the park own their homes but not the land they sit on.(Facebook: Beauty Point Tourist Park Residents Association)

On Monday, residents received another letter from management, this one saying three people would have their licences terminated for bringing the park’s reputation “into disrepute”.

The park did not say who the three people were, and the residents the ABC spoke to had not received any notices, but Mr Lowe, 62, is preparing for the possibility he is one.

“Myself and others, we’re literally in tears because we’ve just got nowhere else to go,” Mr Lowe said.

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