MORE than 3000 people have signed an online petition calling for a
change of heart over the future of the award-winning 539-site Anglesea
Beachfront Family Caravan Park in Victoria.
The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee has announced it would take over the
4.5-star park at the end of its lease on December 1 next year after
claiming a tender process failed to yield "an acceptable proposal for the
value of the site".
But the Morris family, which has operated the popular holiday destination
for the past 20 years, was dumbfounded that its lease submission, said to
be worth more than $10 million, was rejected.
"We’ve given everything into this to improve the park to the next level
... how dare they," fumed park manager Justin Morris.
An
online petition to 17 Victorian "decision makers", including
Premier Daniel Andrews, has now called on Victoria's Environment Minister
to personally intervene and set aside the tender.
It wants an independent state government authority to hold "meaningful
negotiations" with the Morris family for a new Crown land lease.
'Confident the new model will see improvements to the park that will
see benefits to visitors, tourism, jobs and the broader community'
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GORCC chief executive Richard Davies told media that four tender offers
were received but claimed none was commercially acceptable.
The committee would develop a master plan to manage a "great tourism
asset".
"We are confident that the new model will see improvements to the park
that will see benefits to visitors, tourism, jobs and the broader
community," he added.
The petition complains that GORCC had not held any discussions,
negotiations or notice about its decision to take over the Morris family's
caravan park business.
It says the family's significant private investment in the park resulted
in "outstanding improvements" which had taken the original 2.5-star basic
foreshore caravan park to the award-winning 4.5-star holiday park of today.
"Guests, suppliers, the local community and the Australian caravan and
camping industries are disgusted and dismayed.
"The community has rallied around the Morris family and are hoping that
this decision can be overturned and the park given back to its rightful
family management company on just and fair commercial terms.
"The Morris family investment during their current lease has been in the
millions of dollars and they have committed to further multi-million
dollar Crown land improvements, including a privately-funded indoor aquatic
centre for all-year-round use by guests and the Anglesea community," the
petition adds.
The Great Ocean Road Coast Committee has posted a "fact sheet" on its
website. Click
here to view.
