The Suffolk Park Community Hall was filled to capacity at a recent public meeting called by the Suffolk Park Progress Association to discuss the issue of the caravan park. Over 80 people attended, including Mayor Jan Barham, Crs Patrick Morrisey, Richard Staples and Simon Richardson as well as relatives of George Suffolk who had bequeathed the land in 1922.

President of the SPPA Karin Kolbe welcomed all attendees on behalf of the committee, explaining that  ‘the issue of the caravan park is a very long one and some people have worked very hard on it. It demonstrates the length and breadth of this community’s feelings on the matter.’  She then handed over to Secretary Greg Duggan who summarised the history of events surrounding the formation of the SPPA in 1958 and the specific issue of the caravan park.  ‘Why are we here? We are here in reaction to the resolution passed in Council on 22 April.That resolution was in response to the reclassification of this land from community to operational...’  

Greg discussed the danger of the land becoming operational –  ‘its status changes and it can be sold without further recourse to the community... That’s going to be tempting for Council to sell and tempting for the state Government to pressure Council to sell. If we want to retain this land and its current use we have to develop a compliance plan.’

The prevailing  sentiment in the room was to retain the community title, enabling the permanent residents to continue living there, the community to benefit from the space and the amenities and the tourists to keep visiting.

Cr Barham spoke about these ‘triple needs to be considered’  and explained that the next step in moving the land from operational to community would require a Public Hearing conducted by an independent person, which would enable all the facts to be tabled and collated.

‘It may be the only recourse’,  she said. Eventually two motions were passed unanimously. The first called on the General Manager of Byron Shire Council to produce within 60 days the Plan of Management.

The second motion called upon councillors to rescind the most recent motion 10-275 which calls for the next step  in moving to operational land, and to revert to motion 09-457 which calls for both the retention of the community classification and a Plan of Management  to be drawn up in consultation with SPPA and the caravan park residents.