Council Wrecking Ball Email Sparks Outrage Among Evicted Residents

Leaked Email Ignites Controversy

An internal email from the Clarence Valley Council in northern New South Wales has sparked outrage after being leaked to caravan owners who are currently facing eviction. The email contained a shocking AI-generated illustration showing workers in hard hats smiling and cheering as they rode wrecking balls to smash caravans.

The leak comes at a sensitive time, as a dispute intensifies between the council and long-term tenants of four council-operated caravan parks located in Brooms Head, Iluka, Minnie Water, and Wooli. In March, these van owners were given a 120-day notice to vacate their casually leased sites. The council's stated reason was to free up the locations for short-term tourist rentals.

While the lease agreements specified a maximum occupancy of 180 days, many owners had been residing in the parks on a permanent or semi-permanent basis for years. In response to the eviction notices, a group of approximately 100 van owners has launched a legal challenge against the council's decision in the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Laura Black says the leaked wrecking ball email has been misinterpreted. (Supplied)

Van Owners Express Outrage

The content of the email, which referenced the Miley Cyrus song "Wrecking Ball," was seen as a cruel joke by those affected. The suggestion in the email read:

"1. Play the song Wrecking Bally Miley Cyrus - Staff flying around on wrecking balls with crowns on knocking over caravans?? too soon? too sensitive? Maybe next year?"

Simon Chase, a van owner facing eviction from the Iluka park and a representative for the group appealing the decision, expressed his fury over the email's contents. He stated that the email was sent anonymously by a council insider to a member of the van owners' group.

"For anyone to make fun of people losing their homes is an absolute disgrace," he said.

"It is downright disgusting and tasteless in my view."

Mr. Chase added, "It makes a cruel mockery of the distress and hardship inflicted on our elderly and vulnerable residents whose livelihoods, health and family traditions have already been shattered."

Simon Chase has been told he needs to remove his van in Iluka. (Supplied: Simon Chase)

Council Claims Email Was Misinterpreted

Clarence Valley Council's general manager, Laura Black, addressed the controversy by stating the email had been "misinterpreted." She explained that the message was part of a brainstorming session for a staff performance at Grafton's annual Jacaranda Festival, which had the theme "A Crowning Glory."

Ms. Black clarified that the wrecking ball idea was one of several suggestions and was ultimately rejected for being insensitive. She offered a different perspective on its intent:

"The Miley Cyrus one was considered insensitive. It was actually a mockery of us not of the holiday van owners. It was a mockery of the way it has been perceived we have gone about this."

Despite the public outcry, Ms. Black confirmed that no staff members would face disciplinary action for the email. However, she acknowledged that there were "learnings" to be taken from the incident.

"All humans make errors," she remarked. "In hindsight, when you look at it, I understand why [staff] thought that it would be potentially offensive to some, why they thought it was insensitive and definitely that they thought it would be misinterpreted."