Spotlight on Noleen Robinson

Noleen Robinson has been living in a land lease community in Lake Macquarie for over 24 years and has been a resident advocate for nearly the same amount of time. Noleen is a long term member of the Residential Land Lease Communities Forum and we thought it was high time we did a spotlight on her.

What attracted you to living in a land lease community?

I was living in Perth and moved to Sydney for a fresh start after being the victim of a serious crime. I had some friends in Morisset so moved north of Sydney to look for a home to buy. Accidentally stumbled across the community where I ended up buying a home. I liked the fact the community was quiet and I felt I would be safe and secure with neighbours around me.

How long have you been an advocate and how did you get involved?

I have been an advocate for 21 years. It started with a group of residents from other communities in the area meeting to talk about issues we were experiencing in our communities. Through that  group I met Jim Clarke who was very keen to get all the residents groups around NSW to combine. Together we are a stronger force. We have a greater chance in having politicians hear our concerns. This can lead to changes in the law.

With Jim’s help I started my local residents group called Lake Macquarie West Park Residents Association. We travelled to Sydney for meetings with other residents groups. One visit was arranged by Sylvia Hale who was a Greens MP at the time. She arranged for residents across NSW to come to NSW Parliament and talk about our concerns. At this forum I spoke about the need to have unlimited access to communities for emergency service vehicles 24 hours of the day every day of the year. I was aware that in one neighbouring community a resident had died after an ambulance could not get into the community. Sylvia Hale made it her business to ensure that this change was made to the legislation at the time, the Residential Parks Act 1998.

In 2003/04 I helped set up the Southlakes interagency meetings. At these monthly meetings I would represent all the local residential parks in my area covering Tarro, Gillieston Heights, Toronto, Lake Munmorah, Wyee and Morisset. At the meeting there were representatives from many different organisations including the Local Council and local MP Greg Piper. At my suggestion the organisations involved in the interagency organised a free lunch on Christmas Day for the local community. I had noticed many of our residents within our villages had lonely Christmas days because  their families would either come to see them before Christmas or in the New Year, which left them home alone on the actual day. Our first Christmas Day lunch was held in 2010, and Greg Piper MP dropped in to say hi to everyone. We had Santa distributing gifts for everyone, with the gifts being donated by the many businesses who really wanted to get involved. It was a huge success and it carried on every year until COVID stopped it in 2020.

I was also involved in setting up the Independent Parks Residents Action Group in 2013 after the Parks and Village Service (PAVS) was defunded. PAVS had been convening the Residential Parks Forum 4 times a year and I would travel to Sydney for these meetings and meet with resident advocates  across NSW to talk about  our concerns. Myself and  other resident advocates wanted to ensure we maintained the network as  it was very valuable as a support mechanism and also for lobbying the NSW Government.

In my role in my local residents association I would help residents in other communities. I remember going to Palm Lake Village where the residents wanted help setting up a residents committee. The operator turned up for the meeting  and when I asked him to  leave he refused. He sat at  the back and fumed as I outlined to residents their rights. They had lots of  issues around access to  their home for emergency service vehicles as the roads were very narrow and lots  of dead roads.

One Sunday I was asked to come to a community in Gillieston Heights as there  was a gas leak. I called the operator and he said he wouldn’t send out a plumber as he didnt want to pay the extra call out cost due to it being a Sunday. I explained that I didn’t care if it was a Sunday and if someone with a cigarette walks past we are going to have a huge explosion and a lot of dead residents. Within 15 minutes the plumber showed up and the elderly residents were very relieved.

It was a big surprise when in 2010 I was awarded a community service award from the NSW Premier for my contribution to the community.

What were the key issues people wanted assistance with in the early days?

In the early days the operator at the time in our community was doing development in the village. Over the time I have lived here there have been two big developments in the community which caused issues for existing residents.

Site fee increases were not  an issue in the early days,  with increases being around $2.50 a week and this was reasonable so residents  didn’t need help in disputing site fee increases.

What is the biggest change you have seen over time in the sector?

With the rise of technology I now feel that residents in land lease communities are more connected and aware of what’s happening in other communities. We don’t feel so alone. It also helps to put your own community issues in perspective when you hear what’s happening in other communities.

What are the most rewarding aspects of being a resident advocate and living in a land lease community?

Being able to help people in their hour of need and where possible to ease their worries.

What are three things  you would change to improve life for home owners in residential land lease communities in NSW?

1. Site fee increases need  to be limited as site fees are not affordable in  many communities
2. Onsite managers in all villages so if there are emergencies there is someone who can help  the residents
3. Get rid of the large industrial garbage bins that have replaced the small bins in many communities. Elderly residents including myself cannot lift these lids to put in our rubbish and it also means large heavy garbage trucks are coming in to collect rubbish using our narrow roads. 

This article was published in Outasite magazine issue 12. Outasite is published once or twice annually. Outasite Lite email newsletter is sent several times a year – subscribe here. All past issues are available in the archive.