All Ballina Shire Councillors, bar the Mayor Sharon Cadwallader, voted to investigate Flat Rock Tent Park ‘or another suitable site… for the purposes of providing safe and affordable accommodation to rough sleepers’.
Greens councillor Kiri Dicker put forward a motion, ‘that Council provide a limited number of unpowered sites at the FlatRock TentPark during the off-peak season for the purposes of providing safe and affordable accommodation to rough sleepers’. This was proposed to be offered at $120 per week for a site that would normally cost $320 per week for one adult.
Speaking in favour of the motion Cr Dicker said, ‘I was talking to the staff at Tamara Smith’s office, and they were saying that they were having some rough sleepers coming into the office and saying that they don’t want to be who are camping in a public park. [They said] “It’s not safe for us, but we just genuinely don’t have anywhere else to go”.’
What is affordable on a low income?
Cr Dicker said for someone who is homeless or has a low income $45 per night for an unpowerd site was unaffordable so looked at how they might make this council-owned site affordable.
Councillors raised a range of concerns including mental health issues, drugs and anti-social behaviour.
Mayor Cadwallader spoke against the motion saying that ‘drug use, erratic behaviour towards holiday makers, indecent exposure, violent behaviour, misuse and vandalism of facilities’ were concerns.
Homeless not drug addicts
Cr Thereses Crollick responded reminding people that yes ‘there are people who are homeless who have all those issues. But rough sleeping doesn’t necessarily mean someone who is actually in a tent under a bush in one of our parks. Rough sleeping or homeless are defined as the people who couch surf, the people who are living in cars.’
Cr Crollick then pointed out that ‘the highest number of people who are homeless and living in cars – looking around this room – are women of our age group, and that’s a fact, that’s what the statistics say.’
‘The other sort of people that are living in cars are younger women with children escaping domestic violence. The other sort of people that are living in cars and vans are families who, are in low paying jobs and lost their jobs and have no fat in their bank accounts, who struggle, who are looking for work.’
Investigate rather than provide
Cr Michelle Bailey moved an amendment seeking an ‘investigation’ into the Flat Rock Tent Park and other potential sites around Ballina Shire.
‘My issue is with it is the location. It’s really distant from the essential services that are required – food, healthcare and social support. If we could explore alternative solutions, that would be great. Bringing this matter to us is giving us that chance. I do believe we could work with a collaborative effort to find a balanced approach,’ she said.
Cr Cadwallader voted against the amendment while all other councillors voted in favour. The staff have said they will bring a report to council in approximately six weeks.
More stories about Ballina Shire Council:
Ballina Shire Council is encouraging motorists to drive safely over the coming days with king tides leading to minor flooding of some local roads. At its last meeting, as part of a long discussion about amendments to Ballina Council's delivery program and operational plan, there was a debate about whether Ballina Richmond Rotary Club should still be paid $8,000 to set up chairs for the RSL Lighthouse Day Club. Twelve Northern Rivers residents are celebrating the completion of a groundbreaking program designed to build essential skills and unlock employment pathways for women in civil construction. With local government meeting practice across the state returning to confusion following the NSW Legislative Council's recent decision, Ballina Shire Council's last meeting included a lot of unanimous decisions and an argument about the remnants of the Big Scrub, in which Mayor Cadwallader used her casting vote to squash Cr Simon Chate's motion. Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has approved Ballina Shire Council's application to increase its general income through a permanent special variation (SV) of 26.25% [in rates] over four years, from 2026-27 to 2029-30.
Ballina king tide alert for 13–16 July
Ballina Council finds savings in chairs
Tradie ladies graduate civil construction TAFE program
Ballina Council wrap
Ballina Shire Council’s special rate variation approved
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