Residents of El Lago at The Entrance will be helped with legal aid to stop their eviction from the place some of them have called home for almost a decade – with one resident living on the site for 13 years.
About 35 residents of the El Lago Waters Motel and caravan park attended a meeting this week to hear about their rights after management issued 90-day termination notices recently.
The residents, some living in caravans, others in tents and some in the motel rooms, were given 90 days to leave the site.
Central Coast Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service (CCTAAS) chaired the meeting and heard about showers that don’t work, leaks in pipes; and the fact that for three months the residents had no hot water.
The hot water is flowing again but a CCTAAS spokesperson said the property had been allowed to run down.
The residents heard that they will be given assistance to apply to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) for action against the owners of the site against illegal eviction and to seek orders for repairs to have their agreements with the park recognised.
Under two Acts of legislation, the park owner cannot enforce eviction without following proper procedures and can face prosecution and fines of up to $22,000 per NCAT application.
Each resident who files a claim could be entitled to compensation and, in the long term, given more time to find suitable alternative accommodation.
Representatives from Legal Aid and the Office of Fair Trading attended the meeting along with support from Doorways and Tenants NSW.
A spokesperson from the meeting said it would be illegal for the park management to turn off water and electricity to force people out at the end of the termination period.
Local police have been briefed on proceedings and will attend a meeting of Central Coast Council and the support services.
The park owner has also been invited but they cannot force the park owner to attend.
The owner is listed as Uphold Woo Pty Ltd which has a post office address in Chatswood.
Termination notices came after Central Coast Council ordered the park management to improve electrical and plumbing issues.
The Regional Planning Panel 13 months ago rejected a multi million dollar proposal for 414 units and 45 serviced apartments in multi-storey shoptop buildings for the site, extending from 9-29 and 31-33 The Entrance Rd.
Among 13 issues of concern listed as reasons for the refusal, the Panel noted a lack of social planning for the displacement of the current occupants of El Lago.
Meanwhile, when Coast Community News rang the phone number for El Lago Waters Resort shown in the photo, we got a return text message asking for a booking date.
Coast News explained we wanted a comment for the story and the reply was: “Sorry, I can’t. This is owner of business. We can’t do anything”.
Merilyn Vale