Mick talk ‘trailer trash’

HOUSING Minster Mick de Brenni yesterday questioned the Gold Coast City Council’s motives in evicting residents at a caravan park within 10 years.

Mayor Tom Tate fired back, saying he “doesn’t know what he is talking about”.

Mr de Brenni asked if council wanted to kick out elderly residents from the Kirra Beach Tourist Park because it had secret plans to develop the area.

“The question I think council needs to answer is this about making the park more profitable, or is there some other motivation?” Mr de Brenni said after visiting the caravan park on Monday.

“Is this about developing this land into something completely different. Do they have plans for a shopping centre, or something else?

Up to 73 permanent resi- dents at the caravan park were told they had 10 years to leave after the council this year unanimously voted for the park to be for tourists only.

The council resolution has rocked the quaint tourist park where many of the residents are more than 80 years old.

Mayor Tate rejected Mr de Brenni’s claims and said the decision was about tourism growth for the city.

“I say he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” Cr Tate said.

“We have no plan to develop the park but to bring it back to, as the name suggests, a tourist park.

“It is about people with relocatable homes to come visit our city and enjoy the space and to use Kirra and all of (the tourist park’s) facilities.

“That’s what it is development approved for and we are honouring the development approval from our forefathers.”