No eviction has taken place at the eight NSW Reconstruction Authority’s (RA) buyback houses in North Lismore, in and around Pine Street, following the deadline for house occupiers to leave by Tuesday, January 28.
The eight homes were bought back as part of the $880m Resilient Homes Program (RHP) because they pose a risk to human life in future floods, a spokesperson from the RA told The Echo.
RA looking to make progress
‘The community has made clear that they want to see progress however, illegal occupants are delaying this important work. The RA is committed to relocating or reusing as many of these homes as possible before another major disaster occurs.’
The RA provided 40 people, across eight occupied houses, with eviction notices on January 21 saying that the squatters had seven days to vacate the premises before water services are permanently disconnected.
‘RA, NSW Police, Homes NSW and Social Futures have all made extensive efforts to work with the illegal occupants, offering alternative accommodation and access to support services. So far, this support has been refused,’ said the RA spokesperson.
‘The unauthorised use of the properties without services, provides an unacceptable health and safety risk, including an increased risk from fire, sanitation issues, and impacts from mould. Services were disconnected when the properties were settled and we understand some have been illegally reconnected by these illegal occupants.’
Seeking a way forward
Since the eviction notices from the RA Lismore’s Reclaim Our Recovery (ROR), the Pine Street occupiers, and NSW MP Sue Higginson have all written to the RA in relation to the eviction notice and potential ways forward.
‘ROR wrote a letter on Sunday expressing our concern and asking to meet with RA. A very similar letter was sent by the Pine Street community on Tuesday. Both groups are stating they would like to speak with the RA about a way forward,’ said ROR spokesperson, Miriam Torzillo.
‘We hadn’t received a response so on Wednesday I sent an email asking for acknowledgment of receipt of our letter. Then on Thursday we received acknowledgement. The same email went to the Pine Street community that stated the RA acknowledged receipt of our letter and would respond within seven days.’
Following the eviction notices NSW Greens MP Sue Higginson also wrote to the RA seeking clarification on the process used by the RA ‘to identify priority homes for relocation’.
‘I hold signficant concerns that undue political interference may have played a part in the recent issuing of seven day eviction notices to members of the community living in and around homes in Pine Street, North Lismore and those homes apparently now prioritised for relocation,’ she stated in her letter.
Ms Torzillo also highlighted that ‘there are those in the community who are trying to create a negative picture of the people occupying houses on and around Pine Street and they are making false claims as to the actions and behaviour of people occupying these residences.’
It is understood that the RA works with a range of community groups to help inform and guide recovery efforts including monthly meetings with Reclaim Our Recovery.
Selling and relocating buyback houses
The RA has told The Echo that they currently have 31 houses in the recently launched home relocation process for which they are seeking expressions of interest (EOI).
‘To date we’ve received more than 200 inquiries and 150 people have visited the homes offered as part of the program,’ said the RA spokesperson.
‘We are keen to expand the program with the eight homes currently illegally occupied as well as many others, should they be deemed suitable for relocation once an assessment has been undertaken.
‘We can’t undertake proper assessments to determine whether any of the eight homes in question are suitable for relocation or reuse until the homes are vacated.’
However, Ms Torzillo has made it clear that ROR and house occupiers are willing to work with the RA to get houses assessed and see if they are viable for being part of the relocation process.
‘I think it is essential that there is some way that flood victims, who want to get a house as their primary residence, are prioritised in this process,’ Ms Torzillo said.
‘I would like to see the RA provide evidence that this is the case.’
Saving homes and materials
It is understood that one of the original key motivators of house occupiers moving into the buyback properties was the demolition of a big scrub house on Wotherspoon Street and concerns that other big scrub houses would be demolished rather than relocated.
The RA policy is that if a house is deemed to be structurally unsound and requires demolishing, a thorough assessment will take place to identify any recycling opportunities.
‘The RA has implemented strict recycling guidelines. So far, we’ve seen approximately 72 per cent of materials recycled rather than going to landfill.’
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