Macleay Valley Coast Holiday Parks: Annual Licences and Concept Plans

Cabins - Crescent Head Holiday Park

As the appointed Crown Land manager, Kempsey Shire Council is responsible for land and infrastructure management of the five unique coastal holiday parks at:

  • Grassy Head Holiday Park
  • Stuarts Point Holiday Park
  • Horseshoe Bay Holiday Park (South West Rocks)
  • Hat Head Holiday Park, and
  • Crescent Head Holiday Park.

Day-to-day holiday park operations are managed by Australian Tourist Park Management, otherwise known as NRMA Parks and Resorts, under a management agreement with Council.

For accommodation bookings, contact details and information on each holiday park, please go to the Macleay Valley Coast Holiday Parks website.

Future of annual licence sites

For many years, Council has offered 12-month Occupancy Agreements for designated holiday van (annual licence) sites at each holiday park, except Horseshoe Bay Holiday Park. These agreements allow occupants exclusive use for up to 150 days a year.

After extensive engagement with licence holders, businesses, park management, visitors and the broader community since December 2019, Council developed an Annual Licence Site Management Strategy and 10-year concept plans.

These were developed based on the need to improve and upgrade end-of-life holiday park infrastructure to meet customer expectations and industry standards, as well as achieving higher economic and financial returns for the holiday parks. Council revenue generated by the holiday parks is invested back into the Council-managed Crown Land reserves.

At the ordinary Council meeting on Tuesday 20 April 2021, Council adopted:

  • the Annual Licence Site Management Policy
  • the Annual Licence Site Management Strategy, and
  • 10-year concept plans for the Macleay Valley Holiday Parks.

At the same meeting, Council agreed to develop a fair and transparent Transition Plan for the rationalisation and reduction of the annual licence sites over the next 10 years. You can now access this publication at Annual Licence Site Transition Plan(PDF, 13MB)

The policy, strategy and concept plans adopted on 20 April 2021 set out a roadmap for the future of the annual licence sites.

Research had determined that, while short-term tourist site rates have increased by 44% in the past five years, the rate for annual licence sites has only increased by 14% in the same period.

To help bridge this gap, the strategy proposed that annual licence site fees and charges for the 2021-22 financial year be increased by 25% at Grassy Head, Stuarts Point, Hat Head and Crescent Head.

The strategy also proposed that an Occupancy Agreement administration fee (once-off), annual compliance inspection fee, air conditioning fee, and abandonment fee be introduced.

In return, the strategy increases the maximum number of permitted overnight stays from 150 to 180 per 12-month period under the Occupancy Agreement.

At the ordinary Council meeting on 29 June 2021, after public exhibition of the draft 2021-22 Schedule of Fees & Charges, the above fees were adopted.

Key publications

The key publications associated with the holiday parks are:

  1. Annual Licence Site Management Strategy(PDF, 4MB)
  2. Annual Licence Site Management Policy(PDF, 90KB)
  3. Annual Licence Site Transition Plan(PDF, 13MB)
  4. Grassy Head Holiday Park Concept Plan(PDF, 2MB)
  5. Stuarts Point Holiday Park Concept Plan(PDF, 3MB)
  6. Hat Head Holiday Park Concept Plan(PDF, 2MB)
  7. Horseshoe Bay Holiday Park Concept Plan (Alternative)(PDF, 3MB)
  8. Crescent Head Holiday Park Concept Plan (Alternative)(PDF, 2MB)
  9. Minutes of ordinary Council meeting, 17 December 2019
  10. Letter to all annual licence holders, dated 5 March 2021(PDF, 362KB)
  11. Minutes of ordinary Council meeting, 20 April 2021
  12. MVCHP Future Park Development Engagement Report(PDF, 7MB)
  13. Social and Economic Impact of Annuals Review Report(PDF, 3MB)
  14. Letter to all annual licence holders, dated 11 May 2021(PDF, 566KB)