A Healesville caravan park has been convicted and fined $475,000 after a camper was crushed by a falling tree branch.
Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park Pty Ltd, operator of BIG4 Yarra Valley Holiday Park, was sentenced in Melbourne County Court after a jury found it failed to ensure workplace safety.
In March 2021, a camper inside his tent was fatally injured when a large branch fell on him. Investigators discovered the park had not engaged an arborist since 2015, lacked a tree inspection system and policy, and failed to act on risks.
An inspection of 277 trees identified 137 requiring mitigation within a year. The jury concluded it was practicable to conduct annual arborist assessments and follow their recommendations.
