Residential Park Owners Cannot Charge Management Fees or Block New Agreements, and Fines or Jail for Mismanaging Abandoned Property
Residential Parks Bill 2026
House of Assembly
Legislative Council
Assent
Topics
abandoned property consumer protection housing real estate rental market residential parks tenancy tenancy agreements tenant safety
Introduced by: The Hon Guy Barnett MP (LIB)
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
The Debate
What different members said when this bill was debated:
Guy Barnett LIB
“Before I speak to the second reading, I’d like to acknowledge Sherryl Smith in the Chamber today, president of the Beauty Point Residents Association, and say how glad I am Sherryl is here on behalf of the association and so many others and I acknowledge the incredible advocacy of Sherryl and her committee and so many others from that wonderful part of Tasmania. Mr Bayley - Hear, hear.”
Janie Finlay ALP
“Honourable Speaker, it’s my absolute pleasure to rise this afternoon and make my contribution towards the matter before us this afternoon and I want to systematically go over elements of this draft bill, which no doubt has the attention of many.”
Cecily Rosol GRN
“Honourable Speaker, I rise today to speak on the Residential Parks Bill 2026. I acknowledge Sherryl Smith, who is here representing the Beauty Point Tourist Park Residents Association. She carries their hopes and experiences with her today. For many years, Tasmania was the only state in the nation without purposebuilt protections for longterm residents of caravan parks and other residential parks.”
George Razay IND
“Honourable Speaker, I rise to give my contribution to the Residential Parks Bill. I would like to acknowledge Sherryl Smith from the Beauty Point Tourist Park Residential Association and acknowledge also the enormous stress and anxiety that so many residents and people in the community have experienced over the years.”
Michael Ferguson LIB
“Honourable Speaker, thank you for this opportunity to rise to speak, and I do so speaking as a Liberal member for Bass in very strong support of this legislation.”
Peter George IND
“Honourable Speaker, today feels as though we are all celebrating caravan communities around Tasmania. They’ve earned it, especially those who live in Beauty Point, and I welcome Sherryl Smith to the chamber, and hope that others around Tasmania may be able to tune in to hear the debate.”
Jess Greene ALP
“Honourable Speaker, I rise to speak on the Residential Parks Bill 2026. Fundamentally, I believe that everybody has the right to a safe, affordable and secure place to live, without fear of being financially exploited by their landlord, of being asked to leave at short notice or of the rules changing with very little notice or consultation.”
Rob Fairs LIB
“Honourable Speaker, I rise to make a contribution on the Residential Parks Bill 2026 and indicate my support for the bill. At its core, this legislation is about recognising a simple reality: for many Tasmanians, a residential park is not just a place to stay, it is their home. That matters. When the law does not properly reflect that reality, uncertainty follows.”
Helen Burnet IND
“Honourable Speaker, I will be supporting the government’s bill. I acknowledge how difficult this has been, particularly for the Beauty Point caravan park residents, and I acknowledge your presence today.”
Meg Webb IND
“I was on my feet when we adjourned this debate, but I had completed my contribution on the bill, thank you.”
Cassy O'Connor GRN
“I rise to speak in support of the Residential Parks Bill 2026, and I want to state at the outset we’ve been working really diligently on this issue for some years now, particularly my friend and colleague, the member for Bass, Ms Rosol. This bill establishes a range of rights and obligations for long-term residents of caravan parks in Tasmania, whether they be residential or tourist parks.”
Ruth Forrest IND
“I don’t intend to speak for a long time on this; there is a fair bit to get through if we get into the Committee stage. But I do rise to speak in support of the Residential Parks Bill 2026, and to indicate clearly I support the principle and the intent of this legislation.”
Sarah Lovell ALP
“Thank you, Mr President. I will make a very brief contribution. We will obviously be supporting this bill. This bill is a really good example of where members from many different backgrounds and many different electorates have all advocated for a solution.”
“Thank you, Mr President. I thank the Leader for bringing the bill forward. I have a few remarks to make. The bill creates some quite significant legal changes for both owners and operators of caravan and holiday parks and longerterm residents.”
Casey Hiscutt IND
“Mr President, I don’t have a prepared speech for this. I think many of the points were incredibly well put by the member for Mersey in his contribution a couple of weeks ago. I just wanted to follow on from the point raised by the member for Launceston regarding zoning.”
Tania Rattray IND
“Mr President, in responding to second reading contributions, I’d like to acknowledge all those members who have made a contribution and those who will potentially support the bill as we move through. From the outset I also want to place on the record, which has already been done very well, I acknowledge the residents and their advocacy.”