Caravan park fined $475,000 after falling branch kills camper

The company, which operated BIG4 Yarra Valley Holiday Park, was sentenced in the Melbourne County Court on Friday. The court also ordered it to publicise the offence, its consequences and the penalty in an industry publication.

The camper was inside his tent on a designated site in March 2021 when a large branch fell onto it during the night. He suffered fatal head injuries.

WorkSafe investigators found the park operators had not engaged an arborist to carry out a general assessment of the park's trees since 2015. They also had no documented tree inspection system or policy setting out how often inspections should occur.

The court heard that an inspection of 277 trees after the death identified 137 needing risk mitigation work. Of those, 85 required work within a year.

The jury found the park could reasonably practicably have reduced the risk of falling branches by arranging annual arborist assessments of trees at the site and acting on the arborist's recommendations.

WorkSafe Executive Director Health and Safety Sam Jenkin said regular inspections by qualified arborists were critical to managing the risk of serious injury or death from falling trees or branches.

"Duty holders must do all they can to manage the risk of falling trees and branches, particularly in workplaces where people spend large amounts of time, such as camp sites," Mr Jenkin said.

"This terrible incident, in which a man has lost his life during what should have been an enjoyable outdoor experience, demonstrates the heartbreaking cost of not proactively prioritising safety."

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