Caravan park residents living in limbo

Residents being evicted from Brighton Caravan Park have suffered another blow after Holdfast bay Council decided against calling in the government to settle the turf war.

Nearly half of the council’s elected members missed last night’s vital meeting, where tempers flared in the public gallery.

Almost 40 residents are living in limbo after the council rejected an 11th-hour motion asking the state government to intervene in its contentious caravan park redevelopment.

Marilyn Pearson from the Permanent Residents Association said she was appalled by the decision.

“I just don’t believe that they have done that, yet again,” she said.

Greens MP Mark Parnell said Minister for Local Government Gail Gago had offered council an olive branch, but they had rejected it.

Five councillors were notably absent from the vote.

“If you are really happy to evict people from their homes on one instance, there is no point in hiding, come back, say it again, say it in front of a gallery full of people who are about to lose their homes,” local MP Chloe Fox said.

Resident Sue Caddy told 7News: “I hope that whatever they were doing was mindboggling-outstandingly important because this is our lives we’re talking about.”

Even if the motion had passed, a letter from Minister Gail Gago late yesterday suggests the government would have refused to intervene anyway.

The council expects to have the full redevelopment plans in the coming weeks. Until such time, the residents at the Brighton Caravan Park will remain on weekly leases.