Central City caravan park to shut gates after owners denied lease extension

Central City Caravan Park business owners Christine and John Norman, whose lease expires in March, 2018, told residents on Tuesday they too would need to leave behind their High Street homes.  

The couple’s contract requires they leave the land vacant upon the lease’s expiration.  

“This means we must dispose of all our cabins, and other plants and equipment, but also must enforce the removal of any sub-leasee,” she told a meeting of park residents on Tuesday morning.

Residents must leave the site before December 29 next year.  

Mr and Mrs Norman, who took over the operation of the Central City business 13 years ago, had hoped to extend their lease long enough to attract a buyer, which would have meant residents were able to stay.  

But negotiations with their property’s owner were unsuccessful.  

Fifteen staff members will also be out of a job from next Thursday when Mr and Mrs Norman take over all duties, an effort to make ends meet as departing residents’ rent dries up.

As much as half of the business’ income is derived from its residential clients.   

Some of those being forced to move were reduced to tears upon learning of the park’s closure, having lived there for as long as 25 years. 

“It’s all some of them have known,” Ms Norman said.

“It’s a really secure, safe place, because everyone knows everyone.”

Central City resident Barry Aitken learned of the park’s impending closure exactly three years after the day he moved in. 

It was the second time the 60-year-old would be forced to uproot the 1960s Bedford Comair bus in which he lived; he relocated to Central City after the closure of Kangaroo Flat’s Dower Park caravan site in 2013. 

His home might be a mobile one, but trees and shrubs he planted around the bus made it feel permanent, he said.   

He described Monday’s announcement as “a bit of a shock”. 

“Everything’s all set up nicely,” he said.

“I like it here, got good neighbours.

“In summer, I like sitting under the peppercorn tree.”

Mr Aitken would now rely on local relatives to help find him a new site to set up his home. 

But he said there were few other caravan parks in Bendigo offering places for permanent residents.

An emotional Ms Norman, who spent much of Wednesday morning meeting with residents already planning their next move, hoped housing services in Bendigo would be on hand to assist clients like Mr Aitken in their transition.  

Haven; Home, Safe chief operations manager Niall Hensey said his organisation would work with those who needed short-term financial assistance, rental advances or housing case management.  

While he said the park’s closure would mean “significant upheaval” for many of its residents, the 12-month timeframe gave them adequate opportunity to secure new lodgings. 

“It's not easy to find alternative accommodation for 100 people but as long as they can stay there until [it closes], we've got time to work with them,” Mr Hensey said.

Central City’s fate, and the closure of similar residences, was another reason for councils and governments to develop a long-term affordable housing strategy, Mr Hensey said.

“We've seen other short term accommodation options disappear and its never helpful when that happens,” he said. 

“Where real estate is at a premium, it will be sold and the impact generally is that housing is put under pressure.

“The increase in cost and low availability of affordable housing and accommodation means the burden falls heavily on those in this type of housing.” 

Ms Norman would not disclose the name of the site’s landlord.