THE community of Little Arrawarra is urging the City of Coffs Harbour (CoCH) to pay attention to the activities going on at the Arrawarra Holiday Park, which is currently being used to house hundreds of berry pickers in donga-style accommodation.

The pickers are transported in and out of the Park every morning and evening in dozens of buses starting from 5.45am.

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Arrawarra Holiday Park is not zoned for Rural Worker Dwellings and there is no DA lodged at CoCH approving works for the change of usage.

Locals say they have been making formal complaints to CoCH for ten years, referring to the operations being carried out by the Arrawarra Holiday Park, also known as The Beach Arrawarra, under the management of lessee and owner Nathan (Nathaniel) Folkes.

Until the change to unofficial worker accommodation, Arrawarra Holiday Park operated as a holiday park with cabins, with MojoSurf running from the same address and with Nathan as a surf instructor.

In the last few years, the holiday cabins have been extended with containers and roof-top sheeting to accommodate a residential community of berry pickers.

The facilities are not designed to accommodate the 200-plus residents, so the business has added temporary measures that have become permanent such as gas bottles lined up and connected to hotplates as a mock-up kitchen.

The toilet block, unable to cope with the increase in residents, is described as a “total mess” by locals who have seen it.

“With four General Managers/acting GMs passing through Council within the timeline of complaints, the City of Coffs Harbour Council continues to ignore the community,” local resident Gina Ingleby told News Of The Area.

“The question that needs to be raised is: Why is the council continuing to support this business, while being aware of multiple examples of non-compliance, and who within the council needs to be held accountable for the gross mismanagement and negligence of this case?”

With the operator’s lease scheduled for renewal in August 2023, concerned community members are calling on the City of Coffs Harbour to terminate the lease and put an end to this decade-long fight.

“At this stage the community has been so let down we are seeking legal counsel to pursue our claims and issues with the council,” said Gina.

Gina said there are myriad issues with the site, including significant environmental concerns surrounding damage to riparian zones alongside the banks of Arrawarra Creeks and the potential unlawful removal of mature trees.

According to Gina, in excess of 35 buses are used to transport blueberry pickers, with one road in and one road out.

Locals have complained the buses emit significant diesel fumes and start their work runs around 5.45am daily.

With 200-plus occupants onsite, another 200 pickers are reportedly scheduled to arrive in coming weeks.

“Around 35 DAs have been supplied by Coffs Harbour City Council dated between 1987 and 2016, yet there have been no DAs lodged under the current owner/operator,” Gina said.

“This in itself is cause for serious concern.”

Gina said the community has reached breaking point.

“We refuse to believe the CoCH had no knowledge of this pickers camp being installed at the Arrawarra Holiday Park.

“We ask why there was no consultation with the community to give us an opportunity to provide our feedback, as local, impacted residents.

“The list of breaches that have taken place within that facility is as long as my arm.

“The residents have had enough, they’re exhausted, they’re sick of being ignored, they are sick of being a voiceless society.

“Arrawarra Holiday Park is zoned as a holiday park, as such there is a list of criteria and compliances it needs to adhere to.

“So, if an Aussie family was to drive up here and park their caravan, they would rightly expect to have access roads, parking, ample amenities, roof guttering and a fire safety plan.

“None of that is in place, so do the pickers not deserve the same offering as Australians?”

NOTA phoned the number published on The Beach Arrawarra campsite Facebook page, but received a recorded message stating that the number is not in operation.

NOTA emailed The Beach Arrawarra and received the following auto-reply.

“Our park is still undergoing renovations in our cabins and general park area.

“We will not be taking any cabin bookings or camping/caravan bookings until late 2023 and will update our website once we open again for all bookings.”

According to a City of Coffs Harbour spokesperson, “There is currently an open investigation over the most recently submitted concerns regarding Arrawarra Holiday Park and no update can be provided until this investigation is completed.”

By Andrea FERRARI