Labor candidate Peter Tinley is embroiled in a dispute with the residents of a Port Hedland caravan park who are being forced out of their homes because of the former SAS major's $11 million redevelopment plans.
About 20 residents of the Port Tourist Park, some of whom have lived on the Great Northern Highway site for several years, got a letter from Mr Tinley's wife Victoria on Tuesday informing them they would have to leave the caravan park by December 6.
It came less than six months after Mr Tinley, whose company Port Village Accommodation owns the caravan park, told residents he "did not anticipate" anyone would be displaced.
The residents live in 12 dongas to be torn down. They claim the lack of affordable accommodation in Port Hedland means they have nowhere else to go and they will almost certainly be forced to leave town.
A letter lay unopened on the doorstep of a resident who was away when "The West Australian" visited on Thursday. It is believed a staff member of R2R Services, which has Ms Tinley as its commercial manager and operates the park for Port Village, has resigned.
Mr Tinley is the sole director of Port Village Accommodation and one of several investors in the venture which bought the caravan park earlier this year.
Chris Kenney, a mobile plant operator who has lived in one of the dongas for the past nine months and gets work "wherever I can", said residents were devastated by the decision to force them out weeks before Christmas and the cyclone season.
Mr Kenney, 50, said there would not be enough tourists to fill the redeveloped park and it would be home to more lucrative fly-in fly-out workers. "Isn't Labor meant to be for the working man," Mr Kenney said. Grant, 45, who wouldn't give his surname, said he had lived on site for more than two years and would have to come up with $1000 a week for a three-bedroom house or leave Port Hedland.
Mr Tinley, who was selected last month as Labor's candidate to contest the Willagee seat vacated by former premier Alan Carpenter, confirmed the residents would have to leave and said he "had sympathy" for them. But Mr Tinley said he also had a right to develop his business and was not surprised the issue had been raised during his election campaign.
He rejected the residents' belief the caravan park would house fly-in fly-out workers who could afford to pay $1000 a week as opposed to the $230 a week the residents pay.
"We have moved those that we can and we are now down to 20 people out of approximately 250," he said.
Rising Labor star in caravan park furore
BEN SPENCER, The West Australian
November 7, 2009, 2:45 am
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6 Comments
Tinley, Burke and Grill - Labour for social progress.....
What a surprise.. a big business man posing as a labor friend of the worker. As scary as it sounds, the only viable candidate in the Willagee by-election is a greens member who also happens to be a militant union organiser
As a Hedland resident I empathise with these residents. No doubt they will be hard pressed to stay in town unless they band together to share-house one of the $1000 to $2000pw ‘homes’ that are on offer up here. As a consequence I am sure the town will again lose valuable skilled workers and real community members. I have no doubt that this redevelopment is aimed at reaping in the mega-backs that come with the industries present in this town. That is neither right nor wrong but the choice of the owner. Many people would see this as a shameful act however and so serious thought should be given to the ‘money over community’ choice. By the way, what has this got to do with politics?
It makes me laugh when I read comments from staunch labor supporters.... wake up and smell the coffee- the Australia we had under the 'fascist' Howard was the best it has ever been- and EVERY time we are unlucky enough to have a Labor government in power- we go bankrupt and are over-run with illegal boat people. You cry about the hard choices the Liberals have to make when in government- the REASON they do this is to return the economy out of deficit - as for your precious Unions- take a closer look and you will see why many companies have folded (Ansett) or moved overseas.
...As a former staunch labor supporter and Trade Union Executive member, I can tell you- LABOR LOST ITS WAY back in the 70's. It's all about getting rich fast and bugger what happens to the workers! Howard set out to destroy the Union movement and his ILK still adhere to his fascist Idea's. Liberal/Labor, It doesn't matter, whichever way you vote you are screwed. In another 50 years there will be very little Australian blood running through our veins! LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC!
Beware 'Labor' millionaires, including K. Rudd. Greedy businessmen posing as friends of the working man. The ALP sold out decades ago.