At its February meeting, Council granted an extension to Reflections Holiday Parks to present its final offer for the site.
Federation Council mayor, Cheryl Cook said Council was committed to ensuring the best possible outcome for the iconic community asset.
“Throughout this process, we have remained committed to respecting the commercial-in-confidence nature of our discussions to date, ensuring that the integrity of the negotiations is maintained while we work toward a result that serves the public interest,” Cr Cook said.
“This is a significant site for our region, and we are approaching these discussions with a focus on long-term sustainability and benefit to our residents and visitors alike.”
While Council is currently engaging with Reflections, Cr Cook provided assurance to the community that a rigorous process remained in place should a partnership not be reached.
"If Council and Reflections are not able to broker a successful partnership, Council will then consider moving to a full Expressions of Interest (EOI) process," Cr Cook said.
"Given the prime location and potential of Ball Park Caravan Park, we would expect such a process to attract significant investment interest from caravan park operators across the country.”
In a climate where caravan parks are booming, Federation Council chose to negotiate with just one company, Reflections Holiday Parks, rather than go out to public tender.
Driven by strong regional tourism and high demand for family-friendly holiday accommodation, caravan park acquisitions are booming.
Recent trends show major players like G’day Group / Discovery Parks, Tasman Holiday Parks and NRMA all expanding their portfolios, often with investments exceeding millions of dollars.
Cr Cook said the decision was a strategic one and Council would evaluate the proposal and accept it, or if the offer was deemed insufficient, Council maintained the absolute right to reject it and proceed to the open market via a formal national EOI process.
The matter was moved to closed council in February with Crs Pat Bourke and David Bott questioning whether there was a commercial consideration that warranted the matter being heard behind closed doors, especially given the importance of the park to the community.
