Narrabundah caravan park residents getting the boot?

Sequence of events
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In 1999 The lease for the Narrabundah Long Stay Caravan Park was tranferred from the Commonwealth Government to the ACT Housing Commission.

in July 2000 the ACT Government – under present Liberal Opposition Leader Brendan Smyth – gave the park to Koomarri Inc. for nothing. There was a prohibition on the lease preventing the lessee from applying to vary the permitted use for five years from the transfer of ownership to Koomari.

The first Stanhope Labor Government was elected in October 2001.

Koomarri ran the Caravan Park at a profit for the next five years.

In February 2006 (ie: 5 1/2 years later) Koomarri advertised for expressions of interest to purchase the Narrabundah property.

Dr Foskey asked the ACT Planning Minister Simon Corbell to change the zoning for this block of land so that no-one planning to evict the residents and develop the property would be interested in buying it. He took the view that such a response wasn’t necessary, although he said he would urge Koomarri to sell the Park to someone wanting to take it on as a going concern.

28 April 2006 – contracts were exchanged with Dytin Pty Ltd. This was the highest bidder.
According to Koomarri president John Mackay, that is what you do with any asset.

The business running the next door “Sundowner” motor village also expressed an interest in purchasing the property (it would seem with the intent to continue to run it as is) but was not successful.

The Director and Secretary listed for Dytin Pty Ltd is Paul Green, of Meyer Vandenberg Lawyers

Tuesday night (secretly) letters were delivered to all occupants advising them that their occupancy agreements would not be renewed when they expired (in August or November, depending on their occupancy agreement).

Affordable housing in Canberra
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there is no alternative sites for the 100 cabins and vans on site at the Narrabundah Long Stay Caravan Park. The residents have committed a lot of money to their homes and gardens, a large proportion of them live on low incomes.

Secondly,

While I do feel for the people living at Sundowner Village, I expect that they knew full well they would be at the mercy of the oweners of this parcel of land, much akin to evey other caravan owner in the country.

Sorry, but you all made a bet, it worked for a while but the odds changed in this race, and unfortuneatl you lost out.

Indi and Roland,

Wasn’t Koomarri given the land at about the same time they had to close a few of their businesses that catered for the employment of our mentally and physically handicapped brothers and sisters with a view that eventually they would base some of their services out there?

It appears to me that the ‘blame’ for this decision ought lie fair and square upon the directors of koomarri who changed their view as to how they want to run their given business?

If this was the case, and their core clients are being looked after in the present with an eye to the future, then I for one, do not see a problem with this.

Running a charity that caters for high needs clients (mentally and phaysically handicapped) is not a cheap thing to do. Selling off this land was probably a far better thing to do in their mind than start cutting much needed services to this sector.

Not bad Indi – I’ll go with that.

Koomari has probably made a decision based on dollas for good reason. They could either keep the park operatingfor a loss of X amount per day – or that money could be used assisting Y number of people. As long as the Y was a greater number of people than those residing in the caravan park it’s still a charitable decision.

I don’t like the idea that someone can be uprooted and told to bugger off from there home, but don’t blame this on Koomari. It’s a question of eithics that needs to be asked of the new buyer and Seven Storey Simon.

Roland GRNS – you didn’t finish your sentence…can it be assumed that the park was passed onto Koomarri to be operated and remain (in some form) a caravan park.

What’s the land use and can the new owner change that use under current law? I’d be more worried about the current situation ie. residents being displaced, who’s going to be in a position to help them (maybe Housing dept) and just how the new owner believes, under direction of law, that the ‘use’ of that site can change its use for other purposes.

It seems that Koomarri made a commercial decision to relieve itself of the property as it doesn’t seem like a part of core business. Now the new owner is pursuing a new agenda you would hope is perfectly legal, but doesn’t necessarily reflect community standards/ethics/morals blah blah…it’s a terrible place the real world, and sadly Canberra doesn’t get enough exposure to it.

Mr evil’s comment is of course both wrong and malicious.

Mrs Burke’s call for action is the first comment from any Liberal member on this issue.

That is because it was Brendan Smyth (when Minister for Housing under Kate Carnell) who gave the park to Koomarri.

To be fair, how would a charity like Koomari have ever run a caravan park? If I was given a caravan park as a gift, I’d flog it off too: bugger the hassle of having to look after a bunch of tenants who probably complain all the time, kill each other in fights over crappy beer steins and generally trash the place.

I now regret giving to the appeal when the Koomari building was burnt down.

Another so-called charitable organisation that is now off my list of organisations I will support in the future.

Getting off the track here, but my suspicion is that olive farms are a huge tax dodge as growers are eligible for primary producer tax benefits, while the olive trees just grow themselves. So little maintenance needs. No irrigation necessary. Harvesting is a hassle but expensive machinery is also claimable. It also takes away small grazing areas, and bespoils our views with rows of stumpy and parched olive trees. YUK

I heard the guy who bought it is the Olive grove guy at the bottom of Hindmarsh, as he backs on to the Longstay.
But I also heard that unless he gets a lease change, he’s gotta have a caravan park there for another 50 years or so.
Last thing we need is more goddam ugly olive trees. Look out for a worldwide glut of olive oil.

The new owner, a commercial & property lawyer, has dealt the residents of Narrabundah Longstay Caravan Park a cruel blow. The land usage is for a caravan park and if he wants to build flats on the over 9-hectare site he must apply to ACTPA for a change of land use. Simon could not possibly let this go ahead! Where is the Housing Affordability Taskforce? This must be their baby and the residents’ stability of tenure. Other caravan park residents in Canberra must be feeling nervous. Is the ALP going to stand up for the battlers or leave it to Deb Foskey who has supported them since the sale was first mooted?
The sale was a great windfall for Koomarri (given to them by the Libs for $1) and their role in this affair raises questions about their management of fiduciary duty. They could have sold the site to the Sundowner for less and at least they knew it would be well managed.
Why are we lacking residents rights?

Definately not a tenancy agreement and unable to be challenged under the relevant tenancy legislation.

I’d say the Housing Minister needed this like a hole in the head! Looks like the ‘state’ will be picking up the pieces…pity though, they don’t have enough properties to cope with an influx such as this one will recreate.

Send em to Queanbeyan!

just pull up stumps and move to that grassy area in front of old parliament house – or is that only reserved for some of the community?

I’m not even sure it comes under tenancy
they can own their caravan, but they only lease the use of the land

Welcome to the dark side of tenancy agreements.