CRPVic visits flood-affected parks

In February, CRPVic CEO Scott Parker and General Manager, Tourist Parks Gary Anderton travelled to the Great Ocean Road to visit members impacted by January’s devastating ­flash fl­oods and storm surges.

Their visit to Wye River and Lorne highlighted not only the scale of the events, but the extraordinary resilience and professionalism of park teams on the ground.

Just weeks after floodwaters swept through the region, recovery works at BIG4 Wye River Holiday Park were remarkably advanced.

“The park is fully operational, with campers once again enjoying this hidden gem along the Great Ocean Road,” Scott said.

“Recreational facilities including the gym, basketball courts and karts, which only weeks earlier had been inundated, now appeared untouched.”

Extensive clean-up works were required, including the removal of fallen trees, branches and heavy soil sludge.

Crews from the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority provided signi­ficant support, deploying heavy machinery at the rear of the park to assist with debris removal and site restoration.

“The speed and coordination of the recovery effort demonstrate the strength of partnership between parks and government agencies,” Scott said.

“It also speaks to the initiative and determination of our member park operators, who moved quickly to get recovery efforts underway.”

Cabins inundated in Lorne

In nearby Lorne, the situation was equally confronting. River levels rose in seconds, inundating most of the Lorne Erskine River Park. Several cabins were damaged, along with the Lorne of­fices of the Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority.

Park Manager Kasey, who had been in the role for less than two months, immediately activated the park’s Emergency Management Plan (EMP).

As floodwaters rose to knee height, her priority was guest safety, including successfully reuniting two children with their family during the emergency.

With clean-up works ongoing, the goal was to re-open the park in time for the ANZAC Day weekend.

“It was great to learn that they beat this target, with this popular caravan park opening for guests for the busy Easter weekend and school holidays,” Scott said.

Strengthening industry preparedness

January’s ­fire and flood events are a powerful reminder of the critical role caravan parks play in community resilience and post-disaster recovery.

They also reinforce the importance of well-developed, regularly practised Emergency Management Plans.

These themes will feature prominently at the 2026 CRPVic Conference in August.

The program will include dedicated sessions on Emergency Management Planning, along with ­first-hand accounts from park operators who navigated bushfires and flash floods over summer.

“There is enormous value in learning from each other’s experiences – not just in recovery, but in preparedness as well,” Scott said.