Caravan park for sale in the north-east could help ease rural rental squeeze

Between Benalla and Wangaratta, the isolated Lake Mokoan Caravan Park has 30 powered sites, 12 of them currently have permanently tenanted cabins or caravans.

These long-stay residents contribute gross rental income of $65,000 per year, or about $5400 per site.

This is one of the selling points for the caravan park which is on the market for private sale at $1.175m, walk in walk out.

It has a further 30 permitted and powered sites plus many unserviced sites.

According to the agents from Elders Real Estate Wangaratta, those unserviced sites lend themselves to glamping or yurt style short stay accommodation.

Elders' agent Dave Colvin said local regional cities and towns have the same exceptional demand for rental accommodation as the Melbourne metropolitan area.

Mr Colvin said the Glenrowan and King Valley wine regions and other rural industries are finding it increasingly difficult to attract seasonal labour for tasks like pruning or grape picking because of the shortfall of short stay or even-permanent rental accommodation.

"There is simply strong labour demand from the full range of established local industrial and tourism businesses.

"If a buyer or family had a trades or building background and was able to build say one or two bedroom style self-contained accommodation cabins or units on this site our view is that these would be strongly sought and tenanted at say $300 or more weekly rental," he said.

"Or such units could just be rented out at a similar dollar rate per night as tourist or visitor short stay accommodation.

"The caravan park in our view is extremely well located to cater for the strong accommodation demand for residential living in support of the many local job and work opportunities that are on offer."

Lake Mokoan itself has been returned to its original self as a wetland.

The lake was created in the early 1970's when water was diverted into Winton and Green swamps.

After authorities wised up to its enormous evaporation losses, work began to decommission its canals in 2009 to return its flows back to the Murray River system.

The long process continues today on transforming the once popular watersports mecca to the 8750 hectare Winton Wetlands.

The caravan park's current operators, a couple in the their mid-70's, say they are selling to retire after 20 years living and working the property.

The caravan park sits on a rural freehold area of five hectares (13 acres) with bitumen road frontage and well established trees and lawns.

The vendors say over recent years they have not followed up the available opportunities to expand or redevelop the park.

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The caravan park is located at 867 Lake Mokoan Road at Chesney Vale via Benalla, or about 20 minutes of Benalla and Wangaratta.

The "New Kelly" tourist town of Glenrowan is even closer.

A recent residential subdivision, the Lake Mokoan Lakeside rural residential development is also within reach.

The caravan park has a "substantial" on site sewerage system plus significant water resources, which include about 225,000 litres of rainwater or tank storage, plus a 8.4 megalitre licence from the wetlands.

Three phase power is installed as are gas storage tanks and a range of complementary services.

The site also has a large amenities block with male and female showers and toilets, including disabled facilities, as well as a number of other useful buildings used for machinery and storage purposes.

The vendors live in a three-bedroom weatherboard home which is part of the sale.

For more information contact Mr Colvin on 0407 500239.

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