Public again confront Jim Bolger’s plans for Bruns

Why should visitors to Brunswick Heads have private access to public lands while the residents are excluded? 

It was just one of many unanswered questions that were again brought up on Saturday at the second public information session, held by North Coast Holiday Parks (NCHP) manager, Jim Bolger.

Plans by NCHP to develop the town’s three holiday parks and five Crown foreshore reserves are currently on public exhibition. 

And at both meetings, residents expressed confusion, anger and exasperation as to why access they had enjoyed over generations should be taken away at NCHP’s discretion. 

But it was not only public access and boundary encroachments that were sore points for locals. 

Resident Sean O’Meara told The Echo, ‘The town is basically under attack from privatisation,’ referring to the state-run private corporation NCHP.

In backing the claim, elderly long-time Brunswick Heads resident and father of Sean, D’Arcy O’Meara, has told The Echo that local NSW Nationals MP Don Page first brought to his attention ‘this scam’ between the then-NSW Labor government and a ‘network of public servants’.

‘He explained to me the danger of how they would take possession of [the public assets],’ he said, ‘… isolating the community and eventually it would become the property of the state government… so they could sell it or lease it to people such as NCHP and other similar things. Mr Page said, “When we gain power in parliament, we will rectify this; we will dismantle it so it will come back to the local people.” 

‘In government they’ve gone to water.’ 

Mr Page was asked for comment but no reply was received by the time of going to press. 

Meanwhile, a closed meeting between Byron Council and NCHP’s Mr Bolger was held on Thursday, presumably to negotiate the long-running public access and boundary issues. 

1,600 residents

While questions to mayor Simon Richardson remain unanswered, Cr Di Woods told The Echo it was a ‘very intense’ meeting and  ‘Council will form a submission for the Crown’s consideration, after it has received legal advice on many aspects in the proposed plans.’

‘My desire is to see an outcome for the community, visitors and the caravan parks, that gives everyone most of what they would like, but importantly, it is Brunswick Heads and its residents that need assurance that the village will not become another Noosa. 

‘There are only approximately 1,600 residents, and it would be criminal in my view to destroy their amenity, and to negate the very thing that people come here for and that is the “simple pleasures” on offer for families. 

‘I believe that the proposed plans will enable the holiday parks to become more expensive; however, while there’s nothing wrong with commercial interests improving their bottom line. 

‘This could exclude those people that this community and business fraternity have worked so hard to attract.’


A short NCHP history

• North Coast Accommodation Trust (NCAT) was established by disgraced NSW Labor MP Tony Kelly in 2006. 
• NCAT were tasked to take over council-run caravan parks and public reserves on the east coast of NSW and maximise profits.
• This coincided with the dismissal of Byron Shire Council as manager of the three parks at Brunswick Heads and the Clarkes Beach caravan park. The dismssial was done without councillor and public transparency. Byron Council had asked the state government for years to adopt their plans of management (POM), developed in 2000, to allow for necessary upgrade and management.
• NCAT then became North Coast Holiday Parks (NCHP) and operated without formal structure or plans of management until 2013, whereupon a trust was established to manage NCHP by the current NSW coalition. 
• The current Trust board, under the direction of NSW deputy leader Andrew Stoner, are ex-corporate CEOs: chair Alan Revell (ex-Barton Property Group), Matthew Toohey (ex-Bunnings property manager), Ms Margaret Haseltine (ex-Mars Foods). Other board members are executive general manager of Crown Lands and CEO of Destination NSW, Sandra Chipchase.
• Currently there are 26 NSW holiday parks and eight inland parks under NCHP Trust management, ‘worth $82 million’. 
• Ex-Byron Council staffer Jim Bolger was employed to manage NCAT, then NCHP.
• Mr Bolger was also involved in acquiring Lennox Head public land for NCAT from Ballina Council, with Ballina Council agreeing to sell at $1.3 million. According to the then-chamber of commerce president Louise Owen, there was no community consultation and a 12,000-signature petition against the sale was ignored. Proceeds went on upgrading the Lennox Head Surf Life Saving Club. 
• Mr Bolger and Ballina Council general manager Paul Hickey (also ex-Byron Council staff) were reported by Echonetdaily as having owned a Lennox Head investment property together and then selling it in 2010. No conflict of interest was established after investigation by MP Don Page.
• There is no public transparency on NCHP operations; annual financial information is reported in secrecy to the NSW Department of Trade and Industry. NCHP are required to invest back into the parks and contribute to councils.
• As a result of the changes in management and governance in 2013, the trust’s website says, ‘There will be no immediate impacts for park visitors who can continue to enjoy visits and overnight stays.’  While there is no mention of impacts to residents, a community advisory committee is being established ‘to support the new trust board.’
• NCHP insitgated the eviction of the Brunswick Buccaneer boat hire business opposite the pub last Easter, and Mr Bolger refuses to explain why or acknowledge the percieved conflict of interest as NCHP also hire boats.
• Council and NCHP are still in negotiations regarding boundaries and access to public lands in Brunswick Heads. 
• Major development plans for Brunswick Heads are now on public exhibition until February 21, available at http://bit.ly/1kvpYov.
• A petition aginst NCHP’s corporate behaviour is at http://chn.ge/1fgggCQ.and a petition for the Brunswick Buccaneer is ongoing.