Caravan park resident left homeless after being told to immediately leave her home in northern Tasmania

Australia Broadcast Center

2 days ago

At 82, Kathleen Philp never expected to be homeless.
She bought a cottage at the Beauty Point Tourist Park in northern Tasmania in March 2023, where she lived until earlier this month, when park management sent her an eviction notice.
Now, she's staying in her partner's van, but many nights are too cold.
In late April, park management told Ms Philp it planned to remove her driveway to install a walkway.
She replied she did not accept the decision, and when the workers arrived on June 6, she refused to move her car from the driveway.
The termination notice came later that day.
"As a direct result of your actions, we were unable to complete our scheduled works today," the notice reads.
"Additionally, your actions in filming and photographing our staff without consent are inappropriate and unacceptable.
Ms Philp said she only took photos of the workers attempting to begin the demolition of her driveway on the advice of a lawyer, to document what was happening.
That same day, management turned off her power and erected a construction fence around her property, blocking her from accessing her car.
Three days later, she was issued a notice directing her to remove her cottage from the property within 28 days, or the park would sell or dispose of it.
Park management declined to comment.
The Beauty Point Tourist Park is home to about 60 residents, who own their homes but pay fortnightly site fees.
Ms Philp is one of a number of residents who have been issued eviction notices since issues arose in February last year concerning compliance matters and the future of the park as a place of residence.
Resident John Lowe, who was evicted in July last year, took his case to the Supreme Court.
A few days before Mr Lowe's eviction, the park brought in new rules which said "site users" could be evicted without reason.
The Supreme Court judge said the park had attempted to "wholly rewrite" the terms of stay and "deprive long-term residents at the caravan park of any rights whatsoever".
He ruled those terms and conditions, and Mr Lowe's eviction, were invalid.
The judge also said the case demonstrated why Tasmania needed to bring in protections for long-term residents of caravan parks.
Tasmania is the only Australian jurisdiction that does not regulate caravan parks for residential use.
Following the ruling in Mr Lowe's case, the Liberals committed to bringing in legislation.
Premier Jeremy Rockliff criticised the Beauty Point Tourist Park for evicting Ms Philp.
"What we need to do, as we were doing, was change legislation — we're in the process of drafting legislation to fix that very serious problem."
Tasmanian Labor promised to bring in legislation to protect caravan park residents last year, after issues at the Beauty Point Tourist Park first became public.
Bass candidate Janie Finlay has been advocating for park residents.
"Time and time again, people are being treated in a way that is impacting them personally and also financially, emotionally and also impacting their health," she said.
"It's a horrible thing to have happen in our community, so we want to make sure that as a matter of urgency, these matters are dealt with, not just for Beauty Point, but for communities in caravan parks all across Tasmania.
Ms Philp is planning to take her case to court, if park management does not let her return.
"Everyone in the Beauty Point Tourist Park, they just love it there, and they're also good people, hardworking people, and they're all retired.
"The oldest one in there is 95 — how can you, at 95, uproot and find somewhere else to live in this day and age, with the economy the way it is?"