Lake Macquarie Holiday Parks has secured major industry awards at the annual Caravan and Camping Industry Association (CCIA) NSW awards ceremony held on 13 August 2026. Swansea Lakeside Holiday Park received the Innovation Award and took Bronze in the NSW Holiday Park of the Year category, while also being named a finalist for the best NSW Holiday Park on Crown Land. Concurrently, Lake Macquarie Holiday Parks Coordinator Garry Ellem was named the industry’s Employee of the Year.

The Innovation Award recognised a series of accessibility and facility upgrades introduced at the 380-site Swansea Lakeside park over the past 12 months. Key additions included dedicated sensory rooms, accessible barbecue facilities and amenities blocks, an all-abilities outdoor exercise precinct, an accessible digital platform, and specialised disability awareness training for operational staff across the site.

Manager of Property and Business Development at Lake Macquarie City Council, Elizabeth Lambert noted that the council-operated park competed against major corporate holiday park operators across New South Wales.

“Swansea Lakeside Holiday Park is our largest park, with more than 380 sites, but we were up against some really big corporate parks including sites by Big4, Discovery and Ingenia,” Elizabeth said.

“We are so proud of the whole holiday parks team, but particularly Garry who has dedicated the past nine years of his career to making our holidays parks better and more accessible for everyone.”

Mayor of Lake Macquarie, Adam Shultz stated that the state accolades reinforce the city’s position as a primary regional tourism destination.

“Congratulations to Garry Ellem on being named Employee of the Year, and to the Swansea Lakeside Holiday Park team for showcasing why it is one of the best holiday parks in NSW,” Adam said.

“This recognition reinforces Lake Macquarie’s reputation as a great place to visit and stay. The team’s focus on innovation and improving accessibility is helping more people enjoy everything Lake Macquarie has to offer.”

Employee of the Year recipient, Garry Ellem emphasised that universal design principles guide ongoing capital improvements across Council’s five holiday park locations.

“Every step forward and every improvement is guided by our vision to make inclusive tourism mainstream,” Garry said.

“Through the universal design lens, we are always on the lookout for what else we can do that makes our parks easier to navigate and enjoy.”

Future development projects planned across the council’s holiday park portfolio include installing two new tiny homes and an accessible ensuite unit at Belmont Lakeside Holiday Park, along with ongoing design work to develop fully accessible tiny home accommodation models.

IMAGE | Swansea Lakeside Holiday Park secures top honors at CCIA NSW Awards for accessibility and innovation