West Byron Storage Shed renters in Byron Bay in eviction dispute

Tenants who are homeless and impacted by floods have been hit hard by news a Byron storage facility will soon be demolished. However, the developers say they gave four months notice.

Tenants of a Byron storage shed complex have been outraged over what they say is insufficient notice for eviction.

Around 93 tenants of the ACE storage facility have been asked to leave to make way for a new development on the space.

The development for 26 industrial units and a take away food and drink premises was first submitted before Byron Shire Council in November last year by INCA Property Group.

However, tenant Louise Manning said she was only given seven days to clear away her belongings before August 3 via email.

“I very rarely check my own emails, it was only when I went to dinner on Friday night that a friend who works as a removalist said to me ‘oh aren’t you in that place in Centennial Cct, well you’re in trouble’,” she said.

“I was horrified - I’m living in a camper trailer because I can’t find permanent accommodation and that’s where all my household goods are.

“The accommodation situation up here, I know how hard it is to find anything.”

Belongings tossed to the kerb as tenants clean out the Byron storage sheds. Picture: John Bartram

Ms Manning said this situation was only aggravated by the current flood fallout, with the nearest storage shed across the border in Queensland.

“Of course with the floods, all the storage facilities are full, they’re between houses and have nowhere to put anything,” she said.

While she had been able to find someone to store her belongings, she worried for those overseas or unable to find such space.

As it was she still had to give away half of her belongings in the shed.

“I had to give away half of it away out of desperation, I just had to move it.”

Louise Manning is horrified that tenants were given short notice over eviction at the West Byron storage sheds.

Reshin Puna is another distressed tenant. She is currently overseas.

“Like thousands others I’m homeless since the floods and all I have left is contained in this 3x3 shed,” she said.

“All local storage facilities are either full or simply do not reply to contact requests.

“It seems that once more it is left to our community good hearts to pick up the pieces and clean the mess left by a self-serving greedy system, supporting each other in difficult times, whilst property investors keep milking our Byron cow.”

However, INCA Property Group said signage had been outside the site since March and most tenants had already contacted management since that time.

Noting the confusion, the developers had also given the tenants an extension to August 19.

“We have received correspondence indicating that some tenants are unable to vacate their goods within the seven-day notice period nominated in the tenancy agreement,” a letter from Byron Bay Real Estate Agency read.

“To assist, we have been instructed to extend the vacate period for all storage units to Friday August 19th, 2022.

Managing Director of INCA Property Group Josh Thompson added the development would alleviate barriers to employment and growth seen through an “acute shortage of warehouses” in the region.

“Although we are required to give seven days’ notice under the agreement signed by tenants and the previous owner, we have given tenants as much notice as possible and provided them with a list of storage facilities in the surrounding areas,” he said.

“We have also confirmed availability of approximately 130 vacant storage units in a facility 45 minutes’ drive away in Southport to assist tenants with short term storage space.”

Mr Thompson said working with a constrained construction industry where securing sub-contractors is difficult and meant that when a demolition contractor was able to confirm a three-week commencement date from the beginning of August, it was critical to agree to this schedule.

He said project construction will start this month with completion expected in September 2023.