Temporary housing for flood-affected Northern Rivers region

Temporary housing sites will host groups of temporary modular homes (also called pods) and caravans. The sites will include supporting infrastructure and amenities. They will vary in size, depending on the land and the available amenities. 

The temporary homes are stand-alone accommodation units that can house between 1 and 4 people. Some temporary homes will include their own internal facilities. Some sites will have communal bathrooms and kitchen facilities. 

The temporary sites will be in the Northern Rivers area of NSW, where homes have been damaged or lost to floods. 

The first site to be built is at Wollongbar, about 20 minutes from Lismore and Ballina. It will initially provide around 25 pods, with a capacity to house up to 100 people. More pods may be added, depending on how many are needed.  

More sites will be built: 

• near Tweed Holiday Parks, Pottsville North  

• Bath Street, Wardell 

• Park Street, Evans Head 

• Booyong Street, Evans Head 

• Alphadale Street, Lindendale 

• the corner of Wagner and Uralba Streets, Woodburn 

• Lismore Golf Course, East Lismore 

• Southern Cross University campus in Lismore. 

Sites have been identified in partnership with local councils. The sites were chosen based on: 

• potential for future flooding 

• ability to set up sites as soon as possible  

• access and proximity to where people were living before  

Council and government sites (Crown Land and surplus government sites) were given preference. More than a dozen temporary accommodation sites are expected to be rolled out in coming weeks. 

The NSW Government is working with a Northern Rivers community housing provider (CHP). The housing provider will contact people who have registered for temporary housing. The pods will be allocated based on need and on the composition of households. 

Residents will need to sign a lease (an occupancy agreement) to gain access to the program. Further details are being worked through.

Sites and residents will be supported by local community housing providers, with: 

• power, water, sewage and garbage collection

• 24-hour on-site security 

• a community centre common space 

• maintenance and repairs  

• welfare and trauma support 

• transport assistance  

• social events, activities and community engagement. 

At this stage, pods or modular homes will only be located on temporary housing sites. The best way to manage the allocation of temporary homes is to locate them within a community area. Setting up temporary pods together also allows for important services to be provided on-site.  

The temporary housing sites will be available for 18 months to 2 years. The time will depend on what is needed by the community. Residents can live in the pods while they find and settle back into long-term housing. This will allow time for rebuilding homes, moving, or finding a rental property. 

If you need temporary housing, register your interest as soon as possible by:

• calling Service NSW on 13 77 88

• visiting a recovery centre near you and speaking to staff.

The NSW Government will offer at-home caravans to residents in Woodburn who are unable to live in their homes due to flood damage.

These caravans will be located on the resident’s private property and be provided at no cost under an initial six-month hire agreement, pending a suitability assessment to confirm their property can safely accommodate a caravan.

Initial caravans will be secured through Camplify, an accommodation company that usually matches caravan owners with holidaymakers but which will repurpose part of its supply to provide temporary housing to flood- affected Woodburn residents.

From Monday 20 June, Woodburn residents can register for a caravan by visiting the Woodburn Recovery Hub, at McGearys Bros, 9630 Pacific Highway, between 9am and 4pm on weekdays.

Resilience NSW staff will be available at the Hub in a face-to-face setting to assist with information and applications related to the at-home caravans pilot program.

The at-home caravan pilot has been launched in Woodburn after further review found the potential Wagner St-Uralba St site was too challenging to host a temporary accommodation site (known as a pod village), given flood evacuation risks.

The NSW Government will review the at-home pilot program before considering rolling it out to other flood impacted areas where pod villages are not available or practical.

While suitable land has been identified, the sites will take weeks to be prepared for residents. 

If you require emergency housing now, call Service NSW on 13 77 88. 

For more information on accommodation and financial support, call Service NSW or visit If your home is lost or damaged.