The first residents displaced by the flooding disaster have now received the keys to their temporary housing pods at Wollongbar, Ballina Council says.
‘These keys means so much more than the physical structure they unlock,’ said Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke.
‘They are a safe, private and self-sufficient space to live for flood-affected community members while they undertake their own personal journey of deciding what’s next and beginning to rebuild.’
The Wollongbar site has the capacity to house up to 220 people and is one of 12 locations across the Northern Rivers region slated to host ‘pod’ villages.
‘This housing solution enables us to transition people out of emergency accommodation and into a more stable setting which we expect will be used for up to two years,’ Ms Cooke said.
North Coast Community Housing is managing each ‘pod’ village and ensuring people have everything they need, from access to support and engagement workers through to functioning facilities.
Flood-affected community members seeking housing support are urged to contact Service NSW on 13 77 88, visit nsw.gov.au/floods or speak to Recovery Centre staff.
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