Rate hike forcing campers to leave

A SUBSTANTIAL rate hike is forcing an angry lifetime Castlepoint camper to abandon the caravan holiday park, claiming it is another nail in the coffin of the Kiwi camping experience.
Tod Brooks, of Masterton, is pulling his family caravan out of the coastal camping ground after receiving notification that his rates have increased by over 60 per cent from $1800 a year to $2800.
"We're second-generation campers and have just conceded to the fact that the owners are pushing us out.
"You read about this stuff all the time where overseas investors come in and buy everything out and put chalets or whatever in there instead."
Mr Brooks said he did not know the owners' intentions for the holiday park but with Riversdale camping ground closed down, caravan owners' options are limited.
"It just means that we're losing the Kiwi camping experience."
Castlepoint Holiday Park and Motels owner Anders Crofoot said the "substantial" hike is to cover their overheads and revamp costs.
"Basically we have been putting a lot of money into upgrading and our costs to do that have skyrocketed and we need to be able to make a return."
Holiday parks are going out of business throughout New Zealand and Castlepoint is not about to become another statistic, he said.
"We can't stay in business and charge low rates. Even with the increase we are still one of the cheapest in New Zealand."
A growing waiting list of potential lessees will replace any customers lost with the rates increases, he said.
"We are concerned that some of our long-time site users that often only use it in winter will not be able to afford to stay but we have to make money to stay in business.
"It will be sad if we drive some people away but then we do have a list of people wanting to come in that we haven't been able to accommodate."
There are 80 permanent sites at the holiday park that will generate an extra $80,000 a year with the increases but that is not in direct correlation, Mr Crofoot said.
"You need to look at what is happening out here and we have had huge rates increases ourselves as well as power and we have maintenance to be done that has been deferred for several years."
New facilities, including a playground, are planned for the holiday park but there is no long-term intention to dispose of the camping ground, he said.
"We have always assured locals that we don't plan to withdraw the sites and that hasn't changed."
Long-time owner Pat Fairhall, who is also pulling out of the park, said unless caravan owners are using their sites every week the increased costs can't be justified.
"This is just another case of the average New Zealand Kiwi that wants to go camping being pushed out."
Mr Fairhall said the increases are unrealistic and it is not possible that the owner's costs have risen by $80,000.
"There's definitely concern from the residents out there and most will leave because of it I can pretty much assure you of that."
The caravan site rates in Castlepoint are bound to be cheaper when compared with expensive areas like Tauranga, he said.
"The point though is that we aren't living in Tauranga, we're camping at Castlepoint out the back of Masterton and people can't afford these kind of increases here."
Castlepoint Holiday Park and Motels manager Pauline Holland said there are people on waiting lists for a site who are prepared to pay $4000.
"One person rang me up and said they didn't care how much they had to pay, they just wanted to be in Castlepoint."
"Since Riversdale Beach campsite closed we constantly have people wanting a site but we can't accommodate them," she said.
"It's a sign of the times and is a shock for some people but the reality is you don't get a house at Castlepoint for under a half-million dollars these days."