Murray River Council adopted the final version of its new Flood Recovery Management (Flood Affected Caravan & Holiday Parks) Policy at the ordinary meeting of council this week.
The policy responds to the flood event of 2022, which has seen a number of flood-damaged structures within caravan and holiday parks requiring substantial repairs or replacement.
“Council appreciates that approvals and the approval processes associated with the repair of flood damaged structures can create additional stress and delays to an already challenging situation,” Mayor Chris Bilkey said.
“The policy seeks to alleviate the processing issues for both staff and site owners by streamlining the approval process for relevant sites, whilst still ensuring compliance with legislation.”
Council’s Policy aims to assist individuals and communities to carry out both repairs to and replacement of structures detailed in the policy scope by removing delays associated with Section 68 approvals.
The policy outlines several exemptions relating to such work including:
- All repair work and full replacements of moveable dwellings and relocatable homes and their ancillary structures, typically subject to a Section 68 approval, carried out as a result of flood damage.
- Repairs and partial or full replacements to on-site plumbing, drainage and stormwater services associated with the repair/replacement works of existing structures.
Anything outside the scope of direct repair or replacement, such as increasing structure size, is not permitted under the policy.
The policy will remain in effect until 31 January 2025 and can be viewed in full on council’s website.