Temporary housing for flood-affected Northern Rivers region

If you are currently in government-supported emergency accommodation, you will be able to stay until your pod or caravan is ready to move into. 

If you need urgent accommodation, or you no longer need a pod, call Service NSW on 13 77 88

You can find more information on If your home is lost or damaged and Grants and payments for people affected by floods.

If you need temporary housing, register your interest by:

• calling Service NSW on 13 77 88

• visiting a recovery centre.

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 available amenities. 

The temporary homes are stand-alone accommodation units that range from studios to 3-bedroom units. Some temporary homes will have their own internal facilities. Some sites will have communal bathrooms and kitchen facilities. 

Temporary homes are rent-free for up to 2 years. Power and water costs are also included during that time. Residents are responsible for their own internet costs. For caravan residents, there may be some costs for waste management. The community housing provider will discuss any ongoing costs with residents.

The temporary housing sites will be available for up to 3 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. 

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

The first temporary housing site is at Wollongbar, about 20 minutes from Lismore and Ballina. It is operational, with residents living on site.

A second site in Pottsville (PDF 87.89KB) is also now operational, with resident allocations commencing from mid August.

Additional sites are under construction in Lismore, Ballina, Byron Shire, Richmond Valley and Tweed Shire. These sites are under construction and are expected to be ready for residents on a staged basis in September to November. Find out more on the PDF fact sheets:

• Bath Street, Wardell (PDF, 731KB) (dedicated site for the Cabbage Tree Island community)

• Park Street, Evans Head (PDF, 412KB) (caravan site)

• 5 Spring Street, Coraki (PDF, 205KB) (modular homes)

• Elrond Drive, Kingscliff (PDF 494.61KB) (modular homes)
• Southern Cross University campus in East Lismore (PDF, 217KB) (modular homes)
• 154 Burnet Street, Ballina (PDF, 419KB) (modular homes)
• Mullumbimby temporary housing site map. Mullumbimby temporary housing - Prince and Station Street site updates (PDF 336KB). Mullumbimby Project Update and Flood Impact Assessment - Prince and Station Street, Mullumbimby (PDF 9.67MB)
• Bayside, Brunswick Heads (PDF 440.93KB)
• Tweed Street, Brunswick Head (PDF 288.56KB) .

To ensure housing is available as quickly as possible, larger sites will become operational in stages. This means that some of the site will be available for housing while construction continues in other areas of the site.

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

• site suitability including 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 were given preference.

The NSW Government is partnering with local community housing providers (CHP) to manage each site and the allocation process. As sites begin operating, a CHP will contact people who have registered for temporary housing. Residents go through an assessment and eligibility process to gain access to the program. Each village has separate eligibility criteria. While applicants can indicate a preferred village location, housing is allocated based on need and on the composition of households. 

All residents of temporary housing sites need to sign an occupancy agreement before moving in. The agreement sets out the details for living in the temporary accommodation.

If you are already in government-supported emergency accommodation, you may stay until your pod or caravan is ready.

Sites and residents will be supported by the local community housing provider. The types of amenities on each site will vary depending on the size and the nature of the site.

All sites will include: 

• power, water, sewage and garbage collection

• on-site security 

• common space 

• on-site maintenance and repairs.

The local CHP will offer recovery support to residents through:

• welfare and trauma support

• social events, activities and community engagement. 

Pods will 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 pods together also allows important services to be provided on-site.

Caravans are available at private properties in Woodburn and some parts of Byron Shire local government area, as part of the at-home caravan program.

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

Residents who lived in these local government areas before the February 2022 flood are able to register for the at-home caravan program:

• Richmond Valley
• Byron
• Ballina
• Lismore
• Tweed.

The caravans will be located on the resident’s private property and be provided at no cost under a hire agreement. You'll need to continue to pay your regular bills like water, electricity and sewage. The property will be assessed to confirm it can safely accommodate a caravan.

Applications

Resilience NSW has partnered with local Recovery Support Services (RSS) to continue to support flood-impacted communities. For at-home caravan information and application forms, residents may contact or visit these organisations in their Local Government Area (LGA).

Ballina LGA

Uniting Care

Phone: 0403 786 473

Email: recoverysupport@uniting.org

Byron Shire

Mullumbimby & District Neighbourhood Centre

Phone: 0499 864 218 or 02 6684 1286

Email: intake.rss@mdnc.org.au

Lismore LGA 

Uniting Care

Phone: 0403 786 473

Email: recoverysupport@uniting.org

Richmond Valley

Mid Richmond Neighbourhood Centre

Phone: 02 6682 4334

Email: rssworker@mrnc.com.au

Tweed Shire

Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre

Phone: 0476 677 422 or 02 6676 4555

Email: rss@pbnc.org.au

When applying, residents will need to supply:

• proof of ownership of the property where the caravan will be placed or permission from the owner to place the caravan on their property
• photos to show where the caravan will be placed and the access route. 

Property assessments

Not all properties will be suitable for caravans – this depends on criteria such as the size of the property, available services and the slope.

If your property was assessed as unsuitable, you can submit further information to help confirm site suitability – for instance, you may be able to secure an alternative suitable site. Contact:

• Camplify – phone 1300 416 133
• Resilience NSW – phone 9212 9200 or email caravans@resilience.nsw.gov.au