Gold Coast retiree Beryl Roberts is running out of time.
The 84-year-old and her husband, Doug, have just two years left before they must move out of the place they have called home for the past 15 years.
The couple lives at the City of Gold Coast council-owned Kirra Beach Tourist Park in Coolangatta on the Queensland–NSW border.
In August 2011, they used $60,000 in savings to buy a caravan at the park after struggling to keep up with rising rental costs in the traditional housing market.
Over the years, the couple have spent about $20,000 turning it into a fixed home, adding a verandah and a carport.
“We just naturally thought: ‘[We’d] buy this house and live here forever or until we pass away,'” Ms Roberts said.
Although they own the property, they pay $115 a week to lease the land from the tourist park — far less than current rental prices in the city.
Recent data shows the median rent on the Gold Coast has climbed to $850 a week, making it more expensive than Sydney’s median of $760 a week and well above Brisbane’s $670 a week.
The couple bought their property in 2011. (ABC Gold Coast: Danielle Mahe)
Retirement plans disrupted
In 2018, the couple’s retirement plans were disrupted when the City of Gold Coast council told about 80 permanent residents they would have to leave the park by June 2028 to make way for more tourists.
Ms Roberts is among about 27 residents at the park who have rejected council offers to buy back their properties.
“It came as a shock to us when we were told that the council was going to evict us,” Ms Roberts says.
“We thought this was our forever home.”
She said they turned down a council offer of $60,000 for their property because they could not afford to live anywhere else.
“The median price of houses now on the coast is $1 million, and we’ve got nothing like that,” she said.
“We can’t afford to pay rent either — that’s if you could find something to rent. So really, we’ll be homeless.”
She hopes that by speaking out, the council will change its mind before time runs out.
Permanent dwellings left at Kirra Beach Tourist Park marked in green. (Supplied: Gold Coast Tourist Parks)
Millions spent buying back homes
Since then, the Gold Coast council says it has been supporting residents through the transition, spending about $10 million to buy back homes.
The buyback is part of the council’s wider plan to return all seven of its tourist parks to short-term accommodation, catering to a more lucrative tourist market.
It costs about $340 for a two-night stay for two adults at a cabin, making it an affordable option for tourists.
There is strong demand for cheaper offerings in the city, with council data showing tourist park occupancy in January was nearly 20 per cent higher than the national average, and more than 30 per cent higher than the state average.
The council has bought back homes, which have since been demolished. (ABC Gold Coast: Danielle Mahe)
No deadline extension
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said residents had been given ample time to find another home.
“A lot of people have taken the option to let us buy them out,” Cr Tate said.
“Under the law, we were meant to give them one year’s notice, but we gave them 10 years. So, I think we’ve been pretty fair.”
Cr Tate said the caravan park was public land and the council had to ensure it was used for the best public interest.
“We can help them move, but we won’t be extending,” he said.
The Gold Coast City Council says it plans to restore all tourist parks to short-term accommodation. (ABC Gold Coast: Danielle Mahe)
Q Shelter chief executive Fiona Caniglia said options were very limited, particularly in a tight rental market.
“When people find themselves in a situation where they have to move, perhaps they will be eligible for social housing,” Ms Caniglia said.
“But the most recent data I’ve seen has about 2,100 households waiting for social housing on the Gold Coast, with an average wait of 35 months,” Ms Caniglia said.
She urged all levels of government to continue to work with community services to support people struggling to find long-term housing.