Flood of homelessness adds to crisis in northern NSW

Northern NSW was in the grip of a housing and rental ciris before the floods hit, with Airbnb and soaring rents forcing locals out. Now for these residents in Chinderah on the Tweed River, a nightmare has become a reality.

The Tweed River Ski Park was wrecked by the floods but the residents have moved back into their ruined caravans, cabins and annexes because they have nowhere else to go.

Since 2020 real estate prices have doubled in northern NSW and rents have skyrocketed. A rental crisis ­already existed before the floods, driven by holiday-makers and Airbnb.

Thanks to the floods, another 2800 residences have been deemed uninhabitable, 2000 of those in the Northern Rivers. An estimated 1200 people are still in temporary and emergency ­accommodation or couch surfing with friends and relatives.

Chinderah resident Trevor Lewer, 79, has lost everything in the floods. Picture: Danielle Smith

For the residents of this caravan park on the Tweed River at Chinderah, finding somewhere else to live is ­impossible, so all they can do is try to clean the mud off the floors and the mould off the ceilings.

Richard Toar’s cabin was not ­insured as he can’t insure it and, last week, he lost everything. “The bed, the washing machine, the oven, it’s all gone,” he said. The plywood floors are wonky and have holes but it is still home.

“The $170 site fees are cheaper than any rent,” Mr Toar said.

Flood victim Lois Tutuki, 63, showing how high the water rose in her van at the Tweed Heads Ski Park in Chinderah. Picture: Danielle Smith

His neighbour, Trevor Lewer, 79, has lived at the Tweed River Ski Park for eight years. Last Monday it all went under. Like so many others, the residents were evacuated by locals with boats and taken to the Kingscliff TAFE where emergency accommodation was set up.

“I got my clothes but everything else is gone,” Mr Lewer said as he was replacing the lining of his annex. He has been donated a mattress so he has a bed and a roof. “I have nowhere else to go, I can’t afford to go anywhere else,” he said.

Disability pensioner Ian Sargent, 57, has also moved back to the van he pays $155 a week for. He has a donated bed and a fan to help dry out the mould that is creeping over the ceiling and hangs dank in the air. Gaffer tape holds the annex roof together.

Ian Sargent’s van is still wet and mouldy but he has nowhere else to go. Picture: Danielle Smith

“We had volunteers come and help clean up, but it is home and I have ­nowhere else to go,” he said.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics definition of homelessness includes if their “current living arrangement is in a dwelling that is inadequate”. Mr Sargent’s dwelling would struggle to even meet the definition of inadequate.

Anna Scott, St Vincent’s de Paul north coast manager of housing and homelessness, is bracing for an influx.

“The flooding will worsen what is ­already a crisis on the north coast for rising rent prices. People can’t afford the cost of rent and people are living in uninhabitable places in order to have a roof over their head,” she said.

Flood victim Shirley De Maid is grateful to have saved some photos. Picture: Danielle Smith

Flood victims Shirley and Jim De Maid saved pictures of their late baby daughter Monique. Picture: Danielle Smith

“I cannot imagine what that will look like now after losing so many houses to the floods. Each of our three services were seeing an average of 85 people per day prior to the flooding.”

Lois Tutuki, 63, is unemployed and, after a few nights in a nearby hotel paid for by her daughter, she moved back into her caravan on Friday. The ply floor is still saturated and the rain was still coming down. Furniture that wasn’t ruined by the mud is outside, getting wetter.

“Everything’s damp, but I have an air bed to sleep on. I’ve lost everything but I saved the oven because I put it up high,” Ms Tutuki said. The park has been home for 15 years and she pays $175 a week.

Pensioner Trevor Lewer, 79, has a donated bed moved back to his van at the Tweed Heads Ski Park in Chinderah. Picture: Danielle Smith

“I’m not going anywhere, you can’t get anything for $200 a week around here,” she said.

The Hacienda caravan park a few doors down, home to hundreds of retirees, also went under. Jim and Shirley De Maid got the alert to evacuate at 4.15pm last Monday, but the road was already under.

“It was like rapids coming down the river. We were evacuated by locals at 10.45 Monday night,” he said. “Jet skis and people with tinnies, it was all just local people who got us out.”

Ian Sargent points to how high the water rose in his van. Picture: Danielle Smith

Tweed Heads Ski Park in Chinderah is home to people mostly on a pension who cannot afford higher rents. Picture: Danielle Smith

Back in the cabin, they’ve cleaned out the mud and are drying out a lifetime of photos. “We didn’t have time to grab the ­photos,” Mr De Maid said.

Most precious among them are pictures of their late daughter Monique who drowned in the backyard swimming pool aged just 21 months. She would have been 48 this year, Ms De Maid said.

On Thursday NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced a package to add­ress the crisis, which included 16 weeks of rental support and payments of $6000 for single person households and $18,000 for larger families.

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