Grassed area or toilet? Jenny Ellem knows which one she would rather have nearby during her annual camping trip by the sea.
Ms Ellem is one of several campers who are ‘peed-off’ at a decision to demolish one of the amenities blocks at the Cotton Tree Holiday Park.
The block, which had showers, toilets and dishwashing facilities, has been replaced by a barbecue and grassed area where food trucks park part-time.
Ms Ellem and others who enjoyed the proximity of amenities block five are not impressed with having to hike the 50-100m to the next nearest of four amenities blocks in the park.
“I’m 75 and I’ve had open heart surgery, I’ve got a bad back, a bad hip. I’m flat out walking to the shops. It takes me half an hour there and back,” Ms Ellem said.
“There’s no way in the world I’m walking to the toilet five times a day.”
A spokesperson for the Sunshine Coast Council, which is ultimately responsible for the caravan park, said the almost 30-year-old building had ongoing performance and maintenance issues that were no longer viable to maintain.
“Council determined the building had reached the end of its service life and it was decommissioned,” the spokesperson said.
Campers say the structure appeared solid and the only problem was a repeatedly sand-filled drain at an outdoor shower, which could have been removed.
The council spokesperson said there were four other amenities blocks within 150m of any site, and the total number of toilets provided was more than required for the 460 sites.
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The spokesperson said notice of the removal of the amenities block was at the park’s front desk, on social media and on signs at the site, but Brisbane-based Ms Ellem said none of that reached people who had pre-booked from afar with proximity of amenities in mind.
She felt for one of her camping neighbours, who regularly camped there with three children and no power or water.
“How’s she going to cope? It’s one thing to let them go by themselves when the toilet’s close but you don’t want them going off through the park by themselves,” she said.
Ms Ellem, who has holidayed on the same site for 37 years, said her request to hire a portaloo had been refused by park management, who told her she could use a camp toilet.
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However, she said she would not be able to carry to carry the contents to the nearest dump point and there was nowhere to park near it if she drove.
“We’ll try it and see how it goes this year,” she said.
Shane Richards was another unhappy camper.
“We pay a huge amount for a waterfront unpowered site that has close amenities,” he said.
“Cotton Tree Holiday Park is not what it used to be. It’s a money grab these days and not about the families that have been loyal for decades.”
The council spokesperson said $800,000 had been spent since 2021 to ensure the park had quality facilities, such as a camp kitchen and reliable hot water system.
Related story: $1.3m upgrades coming to popular waterfront holiday park
The spokesperson said the council would monitor the situation before committing to a new amenities block, and put to bed rumours that glamping would replace the campsites.
“Council currently has no plans for glamping tents at Cotton Tree Holiday Park,” the spokesperson said.
