A single mother is facing homelessness after the entire Victorian town she lives in is sold

A single mother’s life and dreams have been brutally torn apart, forced to live in a van, as the entire Victorian town she calls home is up for sale.

Leanne O’Donnell, who poured $400,000 into a caravan park and general store in the private village of Licola, is now facing homelessness after the Lions Club, the town’s landlords for more than 50 years, terminated her lease.

Four years ago, Ms O’Donnell packed up her two children and traveled several hundred kilometers to Licola, a remote community in the highlands of Victoria, about 254 kilometers from Melbourne.

He soon became an integral part of the town, investing his savings in its only shop and caravan park.

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However, his dream has turned into a nightmare, when the non-profit Licola Wilderness Village – a camp for poor children directly responsible for his business – terminated his lease and ordered him out on January 31.

“I don’t see a loss. I’m fine, I don’t make a million, but I love what I do,” Leanne told Yahoo News.

The decision to terminate Leanne’s lease caused a major backlash in Licola and nearby communities. Photo: Licola Caravan Park and General Store/Facebook

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“If you love what you do, money comes second. I work from the heart, and they work on a spreadsheet.

“They ripped me off because I put my life savings into this, and now they think they can just come in and take it, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Licola’s plight: A community’s fight for survival

This terrible decision not only ended Ms O’Donnell’s life, forcing her and her teenage son to move into a mobile home, but it also sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community. Long-term caravanners, some who holiday in Licola for generations, have been told they can no longer pay the annual fee to keep their set-up on the site.

Adding to the town’s woes, Australia Post’s Licola box was recently removed, further alienating residents.

The town has been listed with hopes of $6m to $10m. Photo: Accom Properties

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The church of the city. Photo: Accom Properties

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The village has its own power management. Photo: Accom Properties

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Ms O’Donnell, who ran the Community Postal Agency, continued to trade until Australia Day, but now watches as her business, and the community’s assets, are dismantled. “Everyone has been saying it’s just the end of the lease.

“This amounts to a complete erasure of the business and community and heritage of this area.”

The Lions Club of Victoria and southern New South Wales, which has run the Licola township since 1969, said the decision to sell was “not taken lightly”.

The property would be ideal for buyers looking to build a lifestyle. Photo: Accom Properties.

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In a statement to Yahoo News, a spokesperson cited mounting financial pressures, aging infrastructure, declining camp participation, and rising insurance costs as reasons for the sale.

“A recent strategic review found that increasing financial pressures, aging housing and infrastructure, reduced school and camp participation, rising insurance costs and limited reimbursement capacity have made the current center-based model unsustainable,” they said.

You are holding a piece of history

For consumers, Licola is a truly unique proposition.

It is the only city in Victoria that generates its own power, pumps and treats its own water, and handles its own waste management.

In 2019, the Lions invested $860,000 to switch the camp from diesel generators to solar power, saving about $135,000 a year in fuel costs and significantly reducing carbon emissions.

Memorabilia is removed from the general store. Photo: Facebook

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The 34-acre site, which was a wooded area, was purchased by the Lions for $20,000 in 1969 after a sawmill fire, and turned into a wilderness camp for children.

Now, the entire private town, including 45 acres of unincorporated land across five titles, multiple residential buildings and program services for over 300 people, a 34-space parking lot, general store, and gas facilities, is on the market with a price guide of $6m to $10 million.

Ms O’Donnell has launched a go-fund me page in the hope of buying the town for herself.

So far, he has raised $6,739 of his $8m collection.

“This fundraiser exists to raise $8 million to apply to buy the town of Licola in its entirety and keep it community-led, protected from over-polishing, over-commercialization, or development that wipes out its soul,” the fundraiser said.

“The long-term vision is community ownership, through a trust or partnership structure, led by care, accountability, and people who love it. It’s not short-term profit.

“If Licola is lost, it won’t just be the buildings that disappear, it will be the communication, care, and way of life that has endured for generations.”