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“They’re driving us out!” Residents consider legal action over park plans
Maria Lewis
P
ermanent site holders at holiday parks across the Kiama LGA are considering legal action over a proposed fee increase that some residents have labelled “gouging”. Kiama Council notified residents in April of proposed fee increases outlined in its draft budget, including a 10
per cent rise for permanent sites. If approved, the increase would add about $750 a year for some site holders, as outlined in Council’s draft fees and charges document. Residents from parks including Seven Mile Beach and Werri Beach say the proposed rise is excessive and are calling for greater transparency about how the
additional revenue would be spent. The proposal has prompted some residents to consult consumer advocates and explore possible legal avenues, including a potential class action. “It gets dodgier,” says Jebbie Coutinho, who has a site at Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park and whose family have ties to the area going back decades.
“It’s bad enough that the rise is higher than the CPI rate, but the parks haven’t seen any improvements or benefits.” Having first come to the Gerringong area from Sydney with her parents and camping at the park as a child in the seventies, Mrs Coutinho is now a parent herself and bought a permanent site so that she would be able to continue the tradition with her husband
and children. She fears that for many families like her own, that is all in jeopardy. “I’ve been going there all my life,” she says. “We love the area, we love the people, and we would hate to give that up. “There are people who just won’t be able to afford the continued rate rises.” Carlos Coutinho claims that many site owners – particularly
those in Gerringong and Werri – are considering legal pathways. “It doesn’t conform to the CPI increase,” he says. “The CPI increase is 3 per cent. Well, it didn’t go up by 3 per cent. It went up by 10 per cent in 2025 and now they’re proposing an increase of another 10 per cent.” Continued on Page 3