The Hunter's caravan parks will be closed to all but essential travellers and permanent residents during the Easter break as the region locks down further to prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
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The Victorian government issued a directive to close the state's parks and camping grounds on Tuesday.
While the NSW Government has not yet replicated the direction, NSW Health has urged anyone with Easter travel plans to stay at home.
"The Prime Minister and Premier have been very clear about non-essential travel - all non- essential travel should be cancelled," a spokeswoman said.
"To slow the spread of the virus, we need the community to step up and do the right thing by yourself, your family and other people." People should stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary to go out."
The loss of Easter patronage will cost the parks' private operators and council's millions of dollars in lost revenue.
Lake Macquarie City Council announced on Wednesday that it had taken the "heartbreaking but necessary" decision to close its four holiday parks at Swansea, Belmont, Wangi Wangi and Blacksmiths to all but permanent residents and those unable to return home from Thursday.
"This time over Easter is traditionally one of our busiest periods, but with the spread of COVID-19 and the Australian Government's warnings against non-essential travel, temporary closure was the only sensible option," the council's manager of property and business development David Antcliff said.
Port Stephens mayor Ryan Palmer said hundreds of bookings worth hundreds of thousands of dollars had been cancelled in the past 24 hours.
Four of the council's caravan parks were still technically open to those undertaking "essential travel", such as work.
"They will be virtually empty," Mr Palmer said.
"It may be that only one of the parks ends up staying open for those doing essential travel."
Councillors are due to hold a virtual meeting on Thursday to discuss further steps.
Port Stephens MP Kate Washington urged the council to shutdown a perception in some parts of the community that the parks remained open. This would involve declaring the parks "closed to all holidaymakers"
"This action would send a strong signal to the many individuals who are not yet heeding the public health warnings from government," she said.
"The current public health crisis demands strong action and our priority must lie in protecting the vulnerable community we both represent."
Another of the region's popular caravan parks, Stockton Holiday Park, is managed by NRMA Parks and Resorts on behalf of City of Newcastle.
The park is only accepting booking requests from those considered essential workers or who are resting overnight during travel home.
"Booking requests must be made over the phone so that the reasons for travel can be evaluated whether it is essential travel. When a booking is accepted, it is for a maximum of one night only," a City of Newcastle Spokesman said.
All existing and future bookings for non-essential travel have been cancelled by the Holiday Park operator.
Manager of the privately owned Teralba Lakeside Caravan Park Leigh Turner said while the park's finances would take a massive hit as result of cancellations, she was determined to protect to health of the park's 68 permanent residents.
"I have been coping abuse because I won't take bookings," she said.
"I had a call this morning from someone who was trying to organise a place for his friend travelling in a winebago. I said 'has be been tested'?
In closing Victoria's caravan parks and camping grounds Premier Daniel Andrews said "No holiday was worth a life"
"Last night it was determined that - given there is such variance between states, camping and caravaning mean such different things - the states would do that themselves"
"Permanent residents would not be affected because it's their home. We can't have people going down to the Rye foreshore and using the same toilet block, the same bathrooms"
"I know that's inconvenient, a lot of people would have had holidays planned. I get that, but this is much more important than any holiday No holiday is worth a life"
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