Memories: Crystal Summerhayes' kids Slayde Middleton and Kobe Anderson at Discovery Park in Echuca.
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Annual site-holders from two caravan parks in the Echuca Moama region have been issued eviction notices.
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Site owners from Discovery Parks Echuca and Discovery Parks Maidens Inn, Moama, were notified via email on Tuesday, December 13, that Discovery Parks would not be renewing their contract due to the impacts of flooding on the parks.
They have been given until August 2023 to vacate.
Annual site owner at Discovery Parks Echuca Crystal Summerhayes said she believed that the eviction was being requested under ‘’false’’ pretences.
“I think they’re using the floods as an excuse,” she said.
“A redevelopment of this nature would have had to have run through council so I am speculating that this has been in the works for a long time.
“And if this is something that they’ve had in the works for a long time then they’ve just continued to take our money right throughout COVID-19 even though we weren’t able to visit.”
Shattered: Crystal Summerhayes and Luke Middleton visiting their annual site in Discovery Parks Echuca, for which they have now received an eviction notice.
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Ms Summerhayes said the email she received outlined the park’s intention to put in short-stay cabins.
She said somewhere between 100 and 150 people would be impacted by the park’s decision.
“We have to give them vacant possession, which means we either have to demolish and remove our property at our own cost or relocate at our own cost,” Ms Summerhayes said.
“A lot of people, including us, won’t be able to relocate because a lot of the new parks won’t allow vans that are made prior to the year 2000.”
Discovery Parks have confirmed they intend to issue new agreements for their Horseshoe Lagoon park in Moama as well.
The Riverine Herald has not yet received any clarity about what those agreements will entail.
A Discovery Parks spokesperson said significant recovery works were required to make the parks more resilient to floods.
The spokesperson said no permanent residents were being displaced.
“We’ve spent considerable time working through how we move forward to minimise the impact of these increasing climate-related weather events and, during the flood period, we have not been charging annual fees,” the spokesperson said.
“Due to the heavy impacts of flooding, which has included irreparable damage to caravans on site, significant recovery works are required to make our parks more resilient to floods. In future, this will enable sites to be quickly vacated when another significant flood events occur.
“To undertake these works, we’ve provided notice to annual site holders that their agreements will end, after the notice period concludes. These annual agreements enable exclusive holiday access for up to 180 days a year.”
Discovery Parks said they would aim to assist annual site holders in finding alternative holiday locations for the future.
As to what the next step is for Ms Summerhayes and her family, she said she really didn’t know.
But at the very least she hoped that everyone in the park would be reimbursed for the time that they were unable to visit during the COVID pandemic.
“I know that nothing will probably change and they’re probably still going to go ahead with it but I think we’re all entitled to some compensation, and that includes those of the group that are allowed to stay in the park,” she said.
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