ALL 52 of the Porepunkah Big4 Holiday Park's annual site holders have been given notice to vacate, after a change in ownership earlier this year.

The holiday park went up for sale in November 2024 and was sold recently, with annual agreements for site holders on the property no longer in the park's business model.

Annual residents first became aware the park had been sold during the Easter long weekend, which was then confirmed via email a week later, with the new owners taking possession as of May 1.

On Tuesday, 6 May, residents received their first official communication from the new owners, which stated annual site agreements would not continue past the end of this financial year.

“After working in the industry for 35 years, we’re following our own business model for the holiday park, which we’ve put a lot of thought into," one of the park's new owners said.

“We've made calculated decisions, based on the history of the area, which we hope will benefit the future of tourism in the region.

"It's personal for the current residents, we understand; we want to be as respectful to them as possible, for the best outcome for all.

"We want this to be amicable, but it's inevitable for there to be tension between all parties at this early stage of transition.

"We'll take it step by step and may make further changes to the park at a later time."

The announced eviction deadline has raised logistical and financial concerns with residents, some of whom have held a caravan spot on site for 40-plus years.

"We certainly weren’t expecting an eviction notice," lease-holder at the Porepunkah site, Sharon Giggins said.

"We were worried our fees might've been increased, but for them to evict us out of the blue has truly been devastating to us all and has caused a lot of emotional distress.

"What they've done is so unfair and soul-destroying,: you can't replace what we're losing.

"Yes, we are aware they don’t have to renew our agreements for a further annual period; we all understand that, but this has been dealt with in such a horrible way.

"The logistics are ridiculous: there are 52 annuals on site and we're all to remove our dwellings and be out, by 30 June, which is about six weeks from now.

"Fortunately, as I live in Wangaratta, I still have access to another property nearby to relocate my caravan, until such time as I may find another annual site somewhere.

"Other annuals live and work in Melbourne: they will need to plan around their work schedules, or take time off, to drive for hours to get here and empty their site.

"Some may not get back to pack up in time and if that is the case, there will also be an extra cost charged to them.

"These caravans need to be dis-assembled: can you imagine all 52 caravan owners dismantling their sites, to safely remove their possessions in time?

"How is that going to work?

"There's been no compassion at all: the way it has been done is just so brutal, with no thought or care for anybody but their back pocket.

"We all want tourism in our area, but this type of thing is going to lose people.

"During the covid period when nobody was able to travel to our region, we still paid our site fees in full.

"We were told by the previous owners, this was what helped them through.

"It may not mean much to a lot of people, but it means a lot to us, because it was our little getaway."