Wollongbar pod residents pushing for extended leases to find place to live amid slow 2022 floods recovery, housing crisis
Northern NSW flood victims are outraged at being pushed to leave temporary housing sooner than anticipated. One teen would be “over the moon” to live in a ‘proper’ home - but they’re tough to snag in a housing crisis.
Regional News
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Northern Rivers flood victims are outraged at being pushed to leave temporary housing villages sooner than expected after the 2022 natural disasters – the worst on record locally.
After the historic floods more than two years ago, 11 villages with pod-style residences were built to provide critical accommodation and other services to get survivors back on their feet.
The floods damaged about 10,850 properties and left more than 4000 homes uninhabitable.
As of late July, there were still about 920 residents housed in the villages, the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) told this publication.
About 270 people have left villages in Ballina, Byron, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed to move back into repaired or new homes, or other accommodation.
Initially, Wollongbar leases were for a year from May 2022, but in May 2023 a Ballina Shire Council decision extended leases, with RA involvement, for 12 months to the end of 2024/early 2025. No council resolution was made to specifically end the lease.
In early July, Wollongbar Sports Field temporary housing village residents were texted and received letters from RA telling them they had to be out soon for the “decommissioning of the Wollongbar village.
Resident Josh Byrne, 17, said he was displaced from his Coraki home during the 2022 floods.
He felt it was important the village remained open for residents for longer than six months and finding housing in the area was “a big problem” for many families.
“It’s hard to have a feeling of homelessness looming over you,” he said.
“As much as I don’t want to believe we’ll be kicked out onto the street, there is that chance and until there’s more housing available there’s just no way you can shut the pod village down.”
Josh said he would be “over the moon” to live in a ‘proper’ home.
“They can extend the village lease period all they like, but until there’s a house to move into there’s no point – it’s just delaying the inevitable,” he said of local housing availability.
Several village residents with families, who asked to remain unnamed, lashed the decision, among vocal complaints on social media.
Residents feared authorities would take their “bloody cricket pitch” and “footy fields” – the Sports Field – and had “no compassion” hundreds of men, women, and children may end up homeless.
The rest of northern NSW, including Ballina Shire, faces similarly critical housing issues amid a state housing crisis. The north is perhaps the worst off in NSW due to the deadly disasters.
Meanwhile, The RA and Northern Rivers Housing do not have plans to aid the village residents with alternative accommodation.
But an RA spokesman said the organisation met with councils and landowners to request lease extensions.
One option could be to relocate eligible residents to other northern NSW pod villages which have or will have time frames dialled up, according to the RA.
Decommissioning plans will be developed for village sites where an extension was impossible.
On transfers, the RA spokesman wrote residents “will be prioritised for transfer based on their eligibility and/or prioritisation for social housing” depending on factors like the “suitability of vacant dwellings, location requirements and specific needs or vulnerabilities such as children, education, safety, and health requirements”.
The RA – which said it was referring residents to support services – was advised by the council on Friday the Wollongbar lease would be pushed back six months to October 2025.
Pointing to Homes NSW, the RA spokesman said that department was “responsible for working in the areas of housing and homelessness services”.
Meanwhile, the RA has been working with Homes NSW to consider how the villages may be repurposed amid regulatory, planning, funding and oversight hurdles.
‘Perfectly habitable housing in the middle of a housing crisis’
Ballina Shire councillor Kiri Dicker joined Greens Ballina MP Tamara Smith at the Wollongbar village on Tuesday. Ms Dicker said if residents were turfed out they would face “the exact same situation” as in the wake of the disasters.
She said she could not foresee “significant changes” in social housing supply locally.
Greens councillor Ms Dicker said “we need to start treating the housing crisis with the seriousness it deserves” and the pod village had become an “asset” in the community.
“What we have here is perfectly habitable housing in the middle of a housing crisis,” she said.
Greens Ballina MP Tamara Smith visited the Wollongbar village on Tuesday and backed longer leases in the “safe haven” for “vulnerable” people.
“I’d like to have the lease extended to 2026. There simply aren’t homes for people to go to,” she said.
“We are still waiting for the NSW Reconstruction Authority to process their buybacks or insurance settlements.”
The Northern Star and NewsLocal will continue to seek updates from authorities on the floods recovery. Got a news tip? Email luke.mortimer1@news.com.au
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