TURFED OUT
Elderly residents at an idyllic southern Gold Coast tourist park fear they could be left homeless after being told council was terminating their residential agreements.
ELDERLY residents at an idyllic southern Gold Coast tourist park fear they could be left homeless after being told the council is terminating their residential agreements.
Seventy-three permanent residents at Kirra Beach Tourist Park – some of whom have been there nearly 40 years – have been told they have 10 years to get out.
The council wants to make the park short-term accommodation only for tourists.
Rachel Whalebone, 81, has lived at the tourist park for 36 years and said she “wouldn’t have a clue what to do or where to go”.
“I don’t really want to be worrying about this at my age.
“I love it here. I feel safe and I’ve made a lot of great friends. I don’t want to leave this area.”
Rodney Pilling, 63, and his partner Megan Shaw purchased their manufactured home nine years ago for $200,000.
He now faces the prospect of having to sell his retirement home at a discount rate and reenter a tough Gold Coast real estate market.
“It has removed our right to sell these places for what the market value was a month or so ago,” Mr Pilling said.
“Nobody will want to buy these places if they can only have it for less than 10 years.
“The only potential buyer is the council, who might only value it at $200,000.
“What can we buy with that?”
The median price of a Gold Coast unit is $425,000 while the median rent is up to $485 a week – higher than most parts of Brisbane.
Manufactured homeowners at the tourist park pay $139 a week plus electricity, with caravan owners paying slightly less.
Caravan owners will not qualify for any relocation reimbursement from the council.
Mr Pilling said he and fellow residents now intend to fight the decision.
“We’re not going to take this lying down,” he said.
Division 14 councillor Gail O’Neill, who voted against the removal, visited residents last week to discuss their options.
“It is the will of the council to transition the tourist park to be just for tourists,” Cr O’Neill said.
“I wanted to make sure it was done as fairly as possible. I think 10 years is a fair amount of time.
“Some of them thought they would never have to leave and could hand it on to their kids. I certainly have empathy towards them.”
CRH law partner Brian Herd, who practises in elder law, said that the onus would be on the council to prove to Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal that the removal of the residents is fair.
“The onus is on council, not the residents, to prove they have a legitimate reason to move the residents on,” he said. “Either way, it will not be an easy decision for QCAT to make.
“I can see it going on for quite some time.”