Northern NSW flood victims still waiting for temporary housing pods year after 2022 floods

Northern NSW flood victims are still waiting for temporary housing at pod villages a year after the record floods, amid claims some are wrongfully claiming the assistance.

Flood victims are still waiting for temporary accommodation at pod villages in the Northern Rivers one year on amid claims some pods have been fraudulently occupied.

But the NSW Reconstruction Authority has defended its assessment and eligibility process and said action is taken to remove anyone wrongfully claiming a pod.

Stacey Whiteman, 36, said she and her daughter Olivia have been waiting for a Ballina Pod Village assessment for more than a year.

Ballina’s Stacey Whiteman and her daughter have been living with family while they try to get their lives back together.

“It’s been so traumatic,” she said.

“I‘m still waiting for the phone call from the service allocating the pods.”

Ms Whiteman said she lost her home due to floods and mould spread through their belongings, up-ending her life.

Ms Whiteman ultimately lost her income and her car.

“I‘m couch surfing, staying with my dad in his tiny two-bedroom unit,” she said.

Ms Whiteman said she had largely been denied assistance grants.

COUNCILLOR AVOIDS CENSURE OVER POD VILLAGE COMMENTS

Meanwhile, concerns have increasingly surfaced in Ballina that pods are being taken by those who do not need the support.

Resident Eddy Boston, 45, said it was “disgraceful” flood victims are being thrown to the wayside while people who don’t need accommodation are taking up valuable resources.

“There has been a lot of fraud,” he claimed.

“Like with the first payments from the government for flood victims – people were just getting it because it was all online, you didn’t have to prove anything.

“People are doing that with the pods too.”

Ballina Pod Village. Picture: NSW Government

The state government states online that pod villages are full.

“Due to high demand, pod villages in the Northern Rivers are currently at capacity. New applicant details will be collected as part of a waitlist.”

A NSW Reconstruction Authority spokesman said people register for temporary housing through an assessment and eligibility process.

He said this included verifying potential pod occupants are flood-affected, with priority given to locals.

However, in the event of fraud “corrective action is taken to remove residents from the villages and place them in suitable accommodation so that legitimate flood victims may access the villages for their intended purpose”.

Temporary housing villages have been built in the Ballina, Byron, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed Shire areas following the 2022 floods.

Recently, a Lismore councillor was investigated – and cleared by his counterparts – after speaking about “paedophiles” and “drug users” while opposing the pod villages.