More than 100 holiday home tenants have been told to say goodbye to their properties at Shoalhaven Heads.
Allswell Communities, owner of Coastal Palms Holiday Park, have lodged plans to rezone the land, and replace 122 holiday van sites with 80 retirement living plots.
Tenants paid up to $35,000 for a stake in the NSW south coast village – more than $2 million in total – a cost they will not be able to recoup.
To add insult to injury, Allswell has advised tenant to demolish permanent vans before April next year, costing upwards of $10,000.
Allswell has offered tenants $5000 in compensation, cold comfort for them.
“It’s nowhere near enough,” tenant Selana Clark said.
The ordeal has sent shockwaves through the community.
Hailing from a range of postcodes across Australia, they have joined heads on Facebook, united against Allswell’s bid.
”We have a letter dated January, saying Allwell’s vision is to have a mix of permanent vans, cabins and tourist sites, a letter from February saying, ‘our commitment is to not force you to sell or move within next two years,’ now in September they’re saying up and out,” Selana said.
“It’s making everyone quite upset.”
Tenants are heartbroken, having invested in a white elephant.
Selana is one of many tenants who will lodge her opposition with the plans through Shoalhaven City Council.
“Replace 120-odd families with 80 retirees and the impact on the community is going to be massive, especially at Christmas time," she said.
The South Coast Register contacted Allswell Communities for comment on Wednesday afternoon, and has been awaiting a response.
