INDYNR.COM
Six of the original 11 temporary housing villages remain in the Northern Rivers.
The pod villages, as they are called, were a response to the 2022 floods and the need for emergency housing. They are owned by the NSW Reconstruction Authority.
Five villages closed last year. Of the six remaining, Ballina and Mullumbimby will have an extra year to operate under the management of Homes NSW.
Coraki and Brunswick Heads villages will be offered to the Richmond Valley and Byron Shire councils for future community use.
The government is in discussions with Richmond Valley Council on the transfer of the Coraki pod village.
Lismore and Wardell villages will close early next year and be decommissioned to make way for future housing such as the East Lismore Development.
Residents at the pod villages receive support to find a long term home before their occupancy agreements end. This includes financial assistance of up to $10,000.
Pods from the villages have been offered alongside buyback homes through the Homes Reuse Program.
Councils, community housing providers, Local Aboriginal Land Councils and not-for-profit organisations were invited to apply to reuse these homes and pods for social, affordable, transitional, crisis or worker housing, or community spaces providing social support services.
Successful applications to reuse the pods are expected to be confirmed before the end of the year.
Minister for Recovery and Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said the villages were always intended to be temporary.
“The future of these six sites reflects the different needs of each community, with some continuing to provide housing and others transitioning to councils for future community use,” Ms Saffin said.
“Where pods are no longer required at their current locations, we want to maximise their reuse wherever possible, extending the life of these assets and supporting future housing and community outcomes,” NSW Reconstruction Authority chief executive Kate Fitzgerald said.