At the July 25 Ballina Shire Council meeting the majority of councillors voted for a six-month extension to the Wollongbar pod site.
This follows the eviction notice sent to the current tenants, who were placed there following the 2022 floods, who are required to find alternative accommodation by November.
The site, built on Ballina Shire Council land that is zoned for recreation, was originally set up to house people displaced by the 2022 floods for two years. It then received a one-year extension before the NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSW RA) recently applied for a further two-month extension to the lease of the site, which they then sought to extend as far as the council would allow – which was determined as six months.
MP visits pods
Member for Ballina, Tamara Smith MP, and Greens Councillor Kiri Dicker visited residents of the Wollongbar pods to discuss what the winding up of the Wollongbar pods means for the vulnerable people living there.
During her visit, Tamara Smith MP spoke with several families who shared their anxieties about the approaching deadline. Many expressed frustration and fear about finding suitable, long-term accommodation during a housing crisis, within such a tight timeframe.
‘It beggars belief that there are sitting councillors on Ballina Council who have denied a 12-month extension to these vulnerable residents for no good reason’, Ms Smith said.
‘There is an acute housing crisis, the Wollongbar community including our sporting clubs have been so generous and welcoming towards our flood affected neighbours, and the residents of the pod village have been exemplary.
‘Who exactly would be hurt by extending the lease on humanitarian grounds?’
‘The Reconstruction Authority asked for as much of an extension as possible in discussions leading up to a formal request but were informed that only two months was on offer. Thankfully our Greens Councillors pushed hard for longer and and we got a six-month extension.
‘I reassured the residents that I am here to support them and to back in the work of the Reconstruction Authority who are doing everything they can to transition residents into secure housing. I am deeply disappointed with the councillors who voted to turn them out’, Ms Smith concluded.
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