The residents of the Wollongbar Pod site have received notices, via text and letter, that they must find alternative accommodation by November leaving many residents distressed and struggling to find a place to live in the area.
The NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSW RA) alerted residents, via text and letter, to the ‘decommissioning of the Wollongbar Village’ last week. This site is the only pod site that was built on Ballina Shire Council (BSC) land and residents have been told the BSC want the land back so they are now required to find alternative accommodation.
A local Ballina resident (who asked not to be named) who has family at the site contacted The Echo voicing their disappointment in Council and the NSW RA for serving ‘eviction notices’ to the resident at the pid village.
‘It is an absolute disgrace,’ they said. ‘I can’t work out the reasoning, it is a beautifully set out village up there and now they are just going to throw the state government’s money down the drain. They have no compassion. Apparently, they are handing it over for a cricket pitch. They are putting around 170 men, women, and children out of the pods for a cricket pitch? There are football fields on either side of the pods. Why can’t they just put a cricket pitch in the football field like they do elsewhere in the Ballina Shire?’
No Council decision
In May 2023 there was a council decision to extend the Wollongbar Pod Village lease to the NSW RA for 12 months to the end of 2024/early 2025 but ‘there has never been a resolution of Council’ to specifically end the lease, Councillor Kiri Dicker told The Echo.
‘I’ve been told it’s coming to the July meeting for a resolution, but it’s clear from the text to residents that a decision has already been made. There are residents there that have nowhere to go.’
Not a permanent solution
Speaking on ABC Radio Janelle Saffin, Lismore MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery defended the decision saying, ‘the pod villages weren’t to be there permanently. Homes NSW and the housing provider who is in the Wollongbar pod Village, they are working every which way to ensure that they find alternative accommodation for the people who are there.
‘Some people have been offered alternative accommodation under social housing and they haven’t accepted it and people in the pod villages, understandably, they haven’t been paying rent and for some people to then pay rent, you know, that will be a bit of a shock. It was rent-free while they were in the pod village and it won’t be [in future], they’ll be back to renting when they come out of the pod villages.
‘[We are] saying this is coming up because this land was from Ballina Council and they will take it back; and yes we’re all working as hard as we can to get social housing that hasn’t been done here for donkeys years.’
Ms Saffin was clear that the former Coalition government were responsible for the lack of social and public housing in the region and that Labor is working as hard, and fast, as they can to fill that gap.
‘[I am working with] every housing provider in our area. We’re all working together on this to see what we can do, to do it faster, you know to get the social housing and that’s what’s happening now. I know of some that will be coming on stream, that will be announced. But to say nothing’s happening is simply not true. There is a lot happening, and while these end dates are coming for pod villages they’re being absolutely, supported to find alternative accommodation. Homes NSW is directly involved. That’s part of the brief.’
♦ Ballina Shire Council and the NSW Reconstruction Authority have been contacted for comment.
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