Long-stay residents of Acclaim Rose Garden Beachside Holiday Park say ex gratia payments “not good enough”

Long-stay residents of a recently sold Emu Point caravan park have slammed offers of up to $25,000 by the park’s operators and new owners as “just not good enough” as they face imminent eviction. More than 24 tenants who permanently live at Acclaim Rose Garden Beachside Holiday Park received notice of the sale to RAC Tourism Assets on March 21. In a letter seen by the Advertiser dated March 30, Acclaim chief executive Sally Chacko told residents the sale was subject to a vacant possession clause that would require the removal of all residents and their homes from the park within 180 days of sale conditions being met. The letter states RAC will make “without prejudice” ex gratia payments to all qualified long-stay tenants: $5,000 for small caravan with an annexe, $10,000 for a large caravan with an annexe and other fixtures, and $15,000 for relocatable or demountable park homes. Park operators would also offer residents ex gratia payments of up to $10,000, funded from RAC’s sale deposit, making residents eligible for payouts from $15,000 to $25,000. The cash is mainly intended to cover the costs of relocating within Albany and “financial help” for those homes that cannot be relocated, Ms Chacko wrote. “We do understand that these developments are very stressful to all, especially in view of the severe shortages in rental properties etc in WA, but we will try to assist you the best way we can in the circumstances,” she said. To receive the payments, residents must have a long-stay agreement proving the park is their primary residence, rents and fees paid, their sites cleared and no damage or disturbance to park fixtures or operations during clearance. Park resident Phillipa Minchin said the maximum combined payments fall short of relocation costs by half with the average quote upwards of $50,000. “It’s just not good enough, you can’t just abandon people like that,” she said. “This is going to be quite a complicated procedure, trucks coming and going, people have to store furniture, disconnect the houses. “It’s not an easy process for a lot of elderly people to dismantle everything and not disrupt the park’s operations. “It’s like everyone is washing their hands of it and our concerns fall on deaf ears.” The sister Acclaim park on Albany Highway and Panorama Caravan Park in Big Grove have made places available for long-term residents, but both need infrastructure and approval work before they can move in. Park resident of 25 years Robin Bollard said she hopes the City of Albany council will intervene at the ordinary council meeting on April 22 and vote against the decision to approve the RAC’s new lease. “We really hope someone comes in to help us,” she said. “We’re throwing everything at it.”