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Holiday makers campaign to save camping site and home away from home
Written by By Alex Baird.
A GROUP of loyal holidaymakers at the Bright Holiday Park is disgruntled over significant changes made to the popular tourist destination.
Last year the Alpine Shire Council-owned grounds, were taken over by management company Australian Tourism Park Management (ATPM) and arising issues may force caravan owners who lease a site and campers to look elsewhere for holiday breaks.
The aggrieved have formed a large group to get questions answered and hopefully save them from leaving a town many call their second home.
A spokesman for the group, who wished to remain anonymous, said the issue had been raised with the shire and ATPM, and they will be confronting councillors with their concerns on Tuesday evening.
"We’ve had a lot of correspondence with the shire about how disgruntled we are about the new management of the park," he said.
"A lot of van owners have been up there for 30 years and the majority are pensioners who have been up there for a number of years.
"We’ve been told if you don’t like it, leave."
The spokesman said the main concern is a 20 per cent increase in site fees for permanent holders. This has put a financial strain on a lot of guests and may force them to abandon Bright as a destination.
"We’re more concerned about our future at the park; it’s looking a little more grim because of the costs involved, if they’re going to start hiking up the fees at the drop of a hat, it is only going to squeeze us out eventually," he said.
"We feel they are trying to squeeze us out with the price increases."
ATPM managing director Steve Eillett said the company had tried to manage issues, but a price increase has occurred due to a number of changes and works to the park, which had required a big investment.
Mr Eillett said discussions had been entered into with disgruntled visitors and council.
"A lot of it stems back to our capital upgrade works; we have a 21-year lease to crown land property, so we are bound by certain things we can and can’t do, but we’ve committed to $3.3 million so there is going to be an upgrade of amenities," he said.
He also said they are concerned about some problems between staff and customers.
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