Dark clouds menace over the well known Don Hearn's Cabins

She has been told to leave the iconic business she has been running for three decades.

Lexie has been managing Don Hearn's Cabins in Cunjurong Point for 30-years - the last two decades have been riddled with uncertainty because she never had her lease renewed.

For 22-years she had feared when she would be given 30 days to vacate the venue.

"It's the last stand," she said referring to a recent letter she received from the Department of Planning and Environment.

For Lexie, the letter hit hard.

"We now wish to advise that we are intending to issue you with a formal notice of termination on January 15 2024, which will provide you with a further 3 months to vacate the Property, being before Monday, April 15 2024," the letter explained.

Support from some of her regular guests and State Member for the South Coast Liza Butler has given Lexie a little more "breathing time" and the chance to put on one last submission.

The eviction date is now June 30 2024.

She hopes more political support and expected community outrage could help save this iconic venue.

Australian Community Media, speaking to guests currently staying at the cabins this week, heard many stories and reasons why this place is so special and why it should remain open - more to come.

Lexie just never got the lease she wanted.

Various NSW government representatives, over the years, have demanded the cabins be fixed and asked Lexie to provide them with a business plan.

She was prepared to provide a business plan and even had a financial backer ready to support her, but without the security of lease, she was not in a position to any major work to the property.

However, compared the what it used to be like the property and cabins, in general, are in much better condition than they were 30 years ago.

She removed 70 tonnes of rubbish from the property, fixed a number holes in the walls, fixed the grey-water system, worked on the property's bushfire management, helped native grasses grow and helped care for the property and the surrounding land.

Lexie's time and money have gone into the property she loves - now it could all go.

She turned the cabin's reputation around and it's a respected part of the Bendalong, Manyana and Cunjurong Point communities.

Crown Lands in the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure will not renew the lease to operate the site for holiday cabins following detailed assessments which identified various issues.

The assessments, according to a department spokesperson, identified issues including the poor condition of the buildings, bushfire risk at the site and the presence of endangered ecological communities.

"The lease on the site expired in 2002 but has since remained active in 'holdover' on a month-to-month basis, the spokesperson explained.

"Ms Meyers, as the leaseholder, was advised in May 2021 that Crown Lands would not renew the lease and it is proposed to issue a formal termination notice by the end of March 2024 which will require Ms Meyers to vacate by 30 June 2024," the spokesperson said

"The cabins and associated structures will then be demolished at no cost to Ms Meyers, prior to the site being remediated to restore the land to public open space."

The department spokesperson understands that the decision will upset people.

"We understand the cabins have been a part of the reserve and the coastal community for many years, but they have now reached the end of their economic life, do not meet current building standards, and present a potential public health and safety risk," the spokesperson said.

"Redevelopment of the site for ongoing tourism accommodation has been assessed as not cost-effective due to the existing site constraints.

"Crown Lands will manage the site pending a long-term decision on its future management.

"This decision is considered in the best interests of the community and the site."

Crown Lands is negotiating with Shoalhaven Council on the potential integration of the remediated site into an adjoining reserve and appointment as Crown land manager, but this is yet to be agreed upon.

Crown Lands will cover all costs of the demolition and removal of the caretaker cottage, cabins and associated structures and the clean-up and remediation of the site after the leaseholder has vacated.

"Through the Vietnam War, Don's Cabins became a refuge for conscientious objectors and decades after Saigon fell they remained a haven for escapees of a different kind.*

"As the world sped up, got complex, it was a place to kick back and unwind; hop off the hamster wheel for a while.

"In 1991, Don passed away and handed stewardship to Lexie Meyer, who remained faithful to Don's vision of simplicity among nature.

"As the character of the South Coast slowly changed: fibro shacks razed and replaced by large footprint weekenders, the encroachment of AirBNBs, and even caravan parks going upmarket, Don's maintained a sense of modesty and sensible pricing - prices still start at $50 a night - that allowed equitable access to an increasingly expensive slice of coast."

*Background information from Stu Nettle from Swell Net