The cabins looked to be on death’s door partway through a Clutha District Council committee meeting on Thursday when the council voted 10-4 to remove them.
But it then emerged doing so would close the Milton Motor Camp as it would be no longer financially viable.
"That information was a part of a report on the [community] submissions," Balclutha ward councillor Kevin Barron said yesterday.
"Revenue from the camp is $38,000, and it costs $70,000 to run. It makes sense if you were losing money it would be brought to the attention of the people responsible, [but] that was the first we’ve ever been told about it."
The council had issued a document for residents to make submissions after the four cabins appeared, and 97% opted for their removal.
"The writer of that document [then] did a summary and recommendation that was put to council [on Thursday] ... [saying] if they shift the cabins they’d have to close the camping ground, which is ridiculous.
"That was never in the [first] submission document — ratepayers never had to consider closing the camping ground."
Milton residents campaigning for relocation of the cabins formed the Save Our Park group, represented by Ray Powell.
"There’s been no mention of the campground being in financial difficulty until now," Mr Powell said yesterday.
"If council had chosen to work in co-operation and consultation with the community instead of the way they did, I dare say they’d have been able to build all 10 proposed cabins."
Clutha District Mayor Bryan Cadogan was contacted for comment but did not respond before deadline.
"If you’re running a business and it involved other people who have to live with your decisions, you have to talk to them first," Cr Barron said.
"They’ve spent all this money putting cabins on council ground ... and now they’ve got to move them."
Not talking to ratepayers first was a "dysfunctional decision".
