Life Members of the Association are those individuals who have given long and meritorious service to any industry in which members of the Association are involved including the caravan and camping, land lease living and manufactured housing industries.
The Articles of Association allow for these individuals to be elected a Life Member by special resolution of members at an Annual General Meeting (AGM).
Any two members may nominate an individual for election as a Life Member. This nomination then needs to be endorsed by the Board of Directors so it can be listed as an agenda item at an AGM.
Under the Articles of Association Life Members enjoy all the rights and privileges of membership of the Association without payment of any membership subscriptions or levies.
Max Elsley
Elected as Life Member in 2004
Max was a significant and long-time contributor to the caravan and camping industry, having owned and operated a number of successful caravan parks in NSW, including:
- Buckenderra Holiday Village
- La Mancha Cara Park in Berowra
- Merimbula Beach Holiday Park
Max was CCIA NSW’s inaugural Life Member, elected by the Association’s members in 2004 for his outstanding contributions and following his years of service on our Board of Directors for nearly 20 years from 1984 to 2003.
This included dedicating his time as Treasurer where Max helped to establish the strong financial base of the Association, which has allowed us to face the various economic challenges over the past three decades.
Max was also Chairman of our Show Committee and was instrumental in securing Rosehill Gardens Racecourse as the long-term venue for our flagship event, the Caravan Camping Holiday Supershow.
In every endeavour, Max always looked to do things better and his personal approach and financial skills made him a true pioneer of the industry in NSW and on a national scale.
In 2001, Max won the national Eric Hayman Award for Excellence for his outstanding contribution to the Australian caravan and camping industry.
Max sadly passed away 2021 but will forever be remembered as an engaging man, a successful entrepreneur and a loyal friend.
Norton Whitmont OAM
Elected as Life Member in 2006
Norton Whitmont is CCIA NSW’s second Life Member, elected in 2006 when he retired after 25 years on the Board and 20 years as President from 1986 to 2006.
Norton also served as a director on the Board of the national Caravan Industry Association of Australia (formerly Caravan, RV and Accommodation Industry of Australia) from 2003 to 2006.
During his 30 plus years in the industry, Norton owned four residential and holiday parks and he was an incredibly influential advocate, representing members on numerous government and industry committees and working groups. He was highly regarded for his intellect, vision and leadership.
He helped transformed the Association into the professional peak industry body it is today, now representing and providing valuable services to more than 700 holiday parks, residential land lease communities and trade businesses.
Driving policy improvements, Norton was instrumental in lobbying the NSW Government to introduce significant changes to the Local Government Act 1919 which, for the first time, provided a State-wide licensing scheme and standards for caravan parks for tourism and permanent living.
He also assisted in lobbying the Australian Government during the introduction of the GST, developing a formula for apportioning input tax credits that was adopted by the ATO and which lessened the impact of the GST on caravan parks, their guests and residents.
As a result, in 2003 Norton was awarded the national Eric Hayman Award for Excellence for his outstanding contribution to the Australian caravan and camping industry.
And in 2009, Norton received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his outstanding contributions to tourism and more than 30 years work for the Jewish community.
Bruce Binns
Elected as Life Member in 2008
Our third Life Member, Bruce Binns has been a member of the Association for over 50 years and is the founder of Avida RV, the largest motorhome manufacturer in Australia.
Bruce’s significant business achievements began in 1965, when he and his wife Ruth introduced the first Freeway slide-on camper to the Australian market.
In 1978, Freeway Camper Company became Winnebago Industries Australia, which began producing motorhomes and slide-ons, and over the next 20 years the company evolved to manufacturing motorhomes out of four factories.
In 2000, Bruce purchased a 4 hectare block of land at Emu Plains NSW for a new manufacturing premises and in 2013 the business became Avida RV – derived from the word Avid – meaning passionate. Bruce and his team lived and breathed motorhomes and to this day the company remains a 100% family owned and operated.
Avida RV now produces caravans as well as motorhomes, employs approximately 200 workers and has an extensive Dealer network across Australia and New Zealand.
During his time building one of the most successful and long-standing businesses in the industry, Bruce was elected to the CCIA NSW Board in 1994 and was Vice President for 12 years from 1996 to 2008. Representing trade members, he worked with government to spearhead a number of solutions to vehicle compliance and registration issues.
He served as Chairman of the Show Committee for several years and was instrumental in brining together the parks and trade member businesses to form a united Association.
Bruce also made a significant contribution to policy development and leadership at a national level, being a past Board director of the national Caravan Industry Association of Australia (formerly Caravan, RV and Accommodation Industry of Australia) and as a committee member of the Recreational Vehicle Manufacturers Association of Australia.
His outstanding contribution to the Australian caravan and camping industry was recognised in 2004 when Bruce won the national Eric Hayman Award for Excellence.
Ron Cregan OAM
Elected as Life Member in 2016
Another pioneer of the industry, Ron Cregan was elected CCIA NSW’s fourth Life Member in 2016 for his extensive contributions to the industry and the Association.
Ron set up his first business in the 1980s manufacturing aluminium caravan annexes on the South Coast. He developed his own system of aluminium and foam sandwich panels and built the frames and presses to do this in his backyard garage. He successfully tendered to build 100 site sheds for the Australian Parliament House building project.
In 1987 Ron and Gloria moved to Batemans Bay to expand the business, establishing Alvannex Constructions producing factory built housing used in manufactured home estates and as holiday accommodation in caravan parks across Australia. Eventually Splendour Homes was born and it became an award winning company.
Ron’s designs and quality products set a new benchmark for cabin stock, and played a major role in the redevelopment of caravan parks of old to the amazing holiday parks on offer now. In 1999 Ron and Gloria successfully tendered to build houses/cabins for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
In 2000 Ron and Gloria purchased the Nelligen campground, which they transformed into the family friendly resort BIG4 Nelligen Holiday Park, and in 2009 the park won the Batemans Bay Business Awards. Then in 2010 Ron & Gloria won the Caravan and Camping Supershow Gold Award in recognition of their achievement in environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
Ron also served as a board member of CCIA NSW from 1995 – 2016. This included a period of directorship from 1995 to 2004 and then 2006 to February 2016 before retiring from the Board. He has also previously held the position of Vice President of the Association and Chairman of the Show Committee.
He has represented CCIA NSW on the Caravan Industry Association of Australia (formerly Caravan, RV and Accommodation Industry of Australia) and was Chairman of BIG4 Holiday Parks, having held a position on their Board for a number of years.
Nominated by the Association, in 2015 Ron won the NSW Tourism Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual to NSW.
Merv King
Elected as Life Member in 2017
An intelligent and passionate man, Merv’s dedication to the caravan and camping industry spanned over 30 years and in 2017 he became CCIA NSW’s fifth Life Member for his outstanding contributions.
Merv served as a Board Director of CCIA NSW for 10 years, holding the position of President from 2006 to 2009.
He has also previously held the position of Vice President of the Association (at various times from 1987 to 1999) and President of the Association for 3 years, from 2006 to 2009.
During his time as President of our Association, Merv spearheaded a number of industry achievements, including the first Government inter-agency working group for the provision of affordable housing and the abolition of stamp duty on caravans, camper trailers and 5th wheelers in NSW in July 2009.
Merv was a driving force behind our advocacy work, which continues as a major service to our members.
Merv also served as Chairman of BIG4 Holiday Parks between 2003 to 2006, helping the group become the well-known holiday park brand it is today. He also served as a Director on the Board of Caravan Industry Association of Australia (formerly Caravan, RV and Accommodation Industry of Australia).
An innovator in holiday park development, Merv owned and operated a number of successful parks throughout NSW, including:
- Lakeside Leisure Park, Lake Munmorah, Central Coast
- Mecca Home & Holiday Village, Lake Macquarie, Central Coast
- BIG4 Snowline Holiday Park (Jindabyne)
- BIG4 Dubbo Parklands
- BIG4 Harrington Beach Holiday Park
- BIG4 Bonny Hills Holiday Park
Sadly, Merv passed away in 2020 and the industry lost one of its most passionate and influential leaders.
Ken Buckley
Elected as Life Member in 2021
With over 30 years in the caravan and camping industry, Ken has owned and operated a leading caravan park broker business and a holiday park and has been a member of CCIA NSW since the 1980s.
Since 2004, with his wife Rene, Ken has owned the Big4 South Durras Holiday Park located on the NSW South Coast. They have transformed a very ordinary park into an award-winning tourist destination.
Ken is also the principal and licensee of Caravan Park Brokers NSW (formerly Ken Buckley Brokers).
He has served as a Board Director of CCIA NSW since 1987 and was Treasurer of the Association from 1987 to 1999 and from 2006 to 2012. He was also the Regional President of the Central South Coast region of the Association for 7 years.
Ken was one of the leaders that convened a working party comprising NSW Crown Lands and the Association to establish a new approach to the provision of Crown land tenure for caravan parks. This has been pivotal in the Association’s involvement in policy setting for caravan park leasing of crown lands in NSW.
As a long-standing Board Director, Ken has dealt with the ongoing challenges that face our Industry and has worked together with the Board in guiding the industry and Association in a positive direction.
Ken has also held executive positions on both South Coast Tourism Board and Eurobodalla Tourism Board. These roles have allowed him to contribute valuable insights into the overall Tourism Market and Trends in NSW and the understanding of the inner workings of Tourism/ Destination NSW.
Kevin Sullivan
Elected as Life Member in 2022
Kevin has been involved in the in the caravan and camping industry for over 20 years.
Working as Shoalhaven City Council’s Tourist Parks Manager for 21 years, Kevin built an exceptional team and drove the incredible growth and success of the 12 Holiday Haven Tourist Parks spanning Shoalhaven on the NSW South Coast.
Under Kevin’s leadership, the 12 Holiday Haven Tourist Parks are long-standing members of CCIA NSW.
Kevin served as a Board Member of CCIA NSW for 16 years, first from 2004 – 2012, then again from 2014 to 2022.
Kevin was Vice President of CCIA NSW for 2 years from 2020 to 2022 and he served as Chairperson of the Show Committee for 6 years from 2016 to 2022.
Kevin has also served as Regional President for the Leisure Coast Region for 8 years from 2014 to 2022.
Kevin retired from his Association commitments after the Annual General Meeting on 8 November 2022.
As a long-standing Board Director and industry leader, Kevin confronted the ongoing challenges that have faced our sector and has worked together with the Board in guiding the industry and Association in a positive direction.
Kevin has great love and passion for the caravan and camping industry and has always been willing to dedicate his time, knowledge, and experience to help others grow and succeed.