TURNER Caravan Park permanent residents say they have been treated unfairly over the park’s proposed redevelopment and fear they will lose their investments.
Pensioners Elizabeth and Dugald Campbell have lived at the park for three years and spent $100,000 making their site more attractive, including an annexe with fitted kitchen, ensuite, verandah and Italian tiles.
“These are our homes being threatened,” they said.
“It’s wrong to say the park is substandard–it’s beautiful.”
The proposal was recently outlined in a feasibility study for the Augusta-Margaret River Shire.
The three-phase development would increase the park’s revenue by 280 per cent and cash earnings by 330 per cent, creating a total of 264 separate sites for occupation.
The Campbells fear they will not be able to sell their property while the proposal is being considered.
“It’s really traumatic, we will have to relocate and we don’t know where,” they said.
“We’re really fed up with being treated like second class citizens.”
They bought in the park because they could not afford anywhere else, but said they would not have done so if they had known of the proposal.
The Campbells have added kerbing on the site and paid to connect to deep sewerage.
In last week’s Mail, Augusta’s Russell Simpson said the present park was sub standard and its residents did not want to allow any improvements because they had a good site at comparatively low rates.
However, the Campbells disputed this, saying some improvements would be appreciated, particularly the toilet blocks at the park, but not excessive development.
The Campbells said there were other developments in Augusta that would bring more life to the district.
The emotive issue is expected to draw strong debate at the community-organised public meeting on Thursday evening in Centennial Hall.
Shire Corporate and Community Services director Cary Green said the council had yet to make a decision on the proposed development, pending submissions.
“It’s their homes and Council has a community service obligation and honours that,” he said.
“The feedback I’m getting from other people to deal with this is we’re going over and above in our community service obligation.”
He said shire staff and councillors would attend the public meeting tomorrow.
“I think it will be a bit of a think tank for council information and concerns in relation to the development,” he said.
“I’d like to think people will put positives on the table as well.
“It’s a fantastic not only for Turner Caravan Park but for Augusta.”
He said the proposal and recent shire-organised meeting were publicly advertised and submissions for and against were welcome.
“We’re providing as much information to the community as we possibly can,” he said.
“It’s a community proposal on a community asset (and) the permanent residents are community ratepayers.”
Once the council has made a decision he said, he would be in a position to sit down with the semi-permanent residents and provide more answers.
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“The permanent residents fear they will be kicked out tomorrow and we want to allay those fears.
“No decision has been made by Council and until a decision has been made it’s still only speculation.
The feasibility report is (just) that, it’s out for advertising and we encourage submissions.
“Then it will be put to Council and Council will make a decision.
“The permanent residents will not be asked to leave the caravan park.
“The shire is looking at options to provide them with suitable alternatives (within the park) and will be seeking their feedback on those options in the very short term.”
He said he would be happy to talk to people directly on the matter.
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