The Clarence Town community is reeling after Dungog Shire Council closed the town's caravan park due to "safety and compliance" issues.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Residents and businesses learned in a letter from the council's general manager Coralie Nichols that the council-owned Williams River Holiday Park would close following a review of its operations.
"Regrettably, the review identified deficiencies in relation to safety and compliance that brought into question the ability of the park to continue operating in its current form," she said in the letter delivered on Friday, March 1.
"As a result of this situation Council has determined to close the Park while its future is considered."
All camping was to cease immediately, no new bookings would be taken and those with advance bookings would have fees refunded.
The council is to discuss with owners of on-site vans about their removal.
The news sparked an outcry on social media with residents and business owners demanding more information.
Clarence Town and District Progress Association Treasurer Dannielle Jeffery said the community had been "totally blindsided" by the closure.
"We are very disappointed at the lack of community consultation to say the least," she said adding the association was seeking more information from council.
"Coming up to Easter and Anzac Day our caravan park is absolutely chockers and this town just blooms over those periods. It's going to be a big hit on all our local businesses.
Dungog Mayor Tracy Norman and Cr Greg Riley faced a group of angry residents demanding more answers, on site on Saturday.
Cr Norman said the council had acted in a "proper, lawful and moral manner" to close the park due to safety issues identified in a report which was presented to council during a confidential item at the February council meeting.
These are understood to relate to fire and flooding issues.
"The decision we made was the only decision we could make, it was made by the seven councillors who were in the chamber when the vote was taken, it was seven out of seven who agreed to this action," she said.
"It's a compliance issue, its a legislative issue and more importantly it's a safety issue."
Member for Upper Hunter Michael Johnsen MP met with a large group of concerned community members at the park on Sunday.
He said he was concerned about the speed with which the park was closed and the lack of community consultation.
"I've spoken with the mayor and will be actively working with the council for a solution," he said.
The council is investigating the potential for free camping sites in Clarence Town and considering temporary camping sites for major events.
The mayor said she had spoken to members of the annual Hoedown committee and would seek a meeting with the Military Swim In organisers. Both events bring hundreds of people into the town.
"We haven't just closed the park down and washed our hands of it," she said.
Cr Norman said the council would engage a consultant to advise the council on the future of the park.
"We understand the effect this (closure) has on the community and we want to work with them," she said.
The mayor has said she would hold her mobile office at Clarence Town on Monday, March 4 and Saturday, March 9 to talk with residents and business owners.
"We are happy to talk to people about it and want to hear from the community," she said.
The mayor would not be drawn on why the park had been allowed to deteriorate to the point it was no longer compliant.
"We have a line drawn and this is how this council will operate," she said.
"One, it will make the tough decisions regardless of what it does to us personally, and two, we will work with the community and business owners to come up with solutions, but we will not shy away from making these tough decisions even though personally and politically it hurts us.
"We can't and won't shy away from making these tough decisions when it comes to compliance, when it comes to safety particularly.
"We are responsible for the people down in that park and we are not prepared to risk their safety."
Earlier this year Dungog Regional Tourism (DRT) received a $93,000 grant for the park as part of an overall $1.3million project in the shire to improve outdoor tourism.
Chair of DRT Cameron Archer said the closure was "disappointing" and acknowledged the distress in the community.
He said DRT had two years to spend the grant and he remained confident the future of the park would be resolved in that time.
"It's such a wonderful facility … While this is disappointing perhaps it will be reinvented and keep on being used," he said.
Dungog and District Chamber of Commerce President Jennifer Lewis said she had written to the General Manager over the weekend.
"Obviously there will be a significant loss of business in Clarence Town due to this closure and we are seeking further clarification from the council," she said.
The letter from the General Manager: