Communities
On The Road With MHIA: Hello Lower North Coast!
27th November 2024
During November MHIA travelled across the lower North Coast of New South Wales, visiting communities to speak with residents, community staff and deliver brochures to estates that needed them. During our trip we observed a range of trends, witnessed some new developments, and strengthened our relationships with the villages we visited.
The week began with a visit to Palm Valley Village in Tarro, where we had an unexpected discovery. We noted that there was a difference in the number of letterboxes versus listed residences. While this doesn’t effect any of our customers home and contents cover it does help strengthen the data we gather on each community.
One notable improvement observed was the noise mitigation wall along the New England Highway, significantly enhancing the living experience for nearby residents. We know from direct feedback how much this will improve the experience living near such a busy motorway.
At Heatherbrae’s Hampshire Village Pacific Gardens Caravan Park, we listened to staff and residents who commented on the communities mix of permanent, short, and long-term rentals and how they have been used as a form of tourist accommodation. Their feelings were positive, but we learned that their desire was for a more resident focussed housing mix in the future. This highlights a growing emphasis on providing housing solutions rather than catering to tourists within land lease communities.
Meanwhile, a planned development by Lincoln Place in Raymond Terrace appears to have been postponed and no longer features on their website. We will continue to monitor this situation and update in future monthly instalments.
By contrast, Ingenia Lifestyle Blueys Beach is progressing well, transforming an old caravan park into a modern lifestyle village after gaining council approval earlier this year. However, future residents be warned, the absence of an on-site or nearby sales office presents potential hurdles to your information gathering and might require you to contact Ingenia directly for more information.
Bad puns aside, we noted some exiting developments in the Forster area. Palm Lakes Resort Forster, faces the potential for increasing competition in the area due to progress on a development across the canal. Lakeside Forster Village, owned by Hampshire, has seen significant redevelopment. This includes removing on-site caravans and constructing new homes at elevated levels to meet council requirements—a reflection of the ongoing trend to modernize and elevate existing villages.
On our travels we gathered some interesting information which could serve our readers well when researching a future community to move into. Renovations at Discovery Parks – Forster continue to improve facilities and appeal to new home owners looking for a newer style estate. Great Lakes Lifestyle Community, previously Great Lakes Riverside Living, is now owned by Serenitas which have a broad portfolio of communities. This could be exciting for land lease home owners as the village office is operational, with upgrades planned, including new homes.
With so many growing, expanding and redeveloping communities in New South Wales we are sure there is a great opportunity for any new land lease home owner to find the right fit for their needs.