Chief Minister Stanhope has good new and bad news for the residents of the Narrabundah Longstay Caravan Park.
The good news is they’re going to be offered three year occupancy agreements after years of month to month existence.
The bad news is they’re going to be forced to come up to standard on health and safety:
Each of the private properties in the park will be assessed over the next two months to ensure they are safe and structurally sound. Licensed inspectors will complete the audits free of charge to residents.
The assessments will consider fire and safety risks, sewerage connections, electrical safety and structural compliance.
Where issues are identified, Government agencies will work with residents to help them bring their properties up to standard within a reasonable timeframe.
It is not known how many of the private properties on the site will require modification or remedial work.
“Like any other ACT homeowners, the park’s residents have an obligation to ensure their homes are safe and comply with basic regulations,” Mr Stanhope said. “The report indicates that a proportion of homes in the park are likely to be in need of some rectification.
“Financial support for necessary modifications may be considered once the compliance assessments have been completed.”
Quite why the ACT Government is running a trailer park, rather than providing proper public housing where needed, remains a mystery.
UPDATE: The Options Paper is now online. As is a fact sheet and the Government response.