The NSW Government has confirmed the next steps for the six remaining temporary housing villages in the Northern Rivers, including offering two sites to local councils, providing greater certainty for residents and communities as the program moves towards its planned end in 2027.
The temporary housing villages were established as an emergency measure to provide safe and secure accommodation for people displaced by the 2022 Northern Rivers floods, with 11 villages established across the region.
Five villages closed last year, with residents supported to transition into other housing.
The six remaining villages were extended, and the NSW Government can now confirm:
- Ballina and Mullumbimby: villages will continue to be managed by Homes NSW for an additional 12-month period. During this time Homes NSW and community housing providers will continue to work with residents to find alternative accommodation.
- Brunswick Heads and Coraki: villages and associated assets to be offered to the Byron and Richmond Valley councils respectively to support future community use
- Lismore and Wardell: the villages will close in early 2027 and be decommissioned to make way for future housing such as the East Lismore Development that will establish long term housing supply.
The NSW Government is working with Richmond Valley Council on the proposed transfer of the Coraki village and associated assets to Council ownership for future community use. Discussions are also continuing with Byron Shire Council following their release of an expression of interest for a community housing provider to operate the Brunswick Heads village.
Homes NSW and community housing providers continue to work with residents to collaboratively identify appropriate longer-term housing options.
Every resident receives individualised support to find long-term home before their occupancy agreements end. This includes practical assistance to identify alternative accommodation as well as financial assistance of up to $10,000.
No resident will be left homeless as a result of the closure of any temporary housing village. The NSW Reconstruction Authority, who owns the temporary housing pods, will continue to work with Homes NSW, councils and other partners on their transition and future use.
The pods were critical to providing safe and secure accommodation for flood-affected residents. The pods have now been offered a new life alongside buyback homes through the recent Homes Reuse Program expression of interest process.
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 key worker housing, or community spaces providing human and social support services.
Applications are currently under assessment, with successful proponents expected to be confirmed before the end of 2026.
Minister for Recovery and Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said:
“These villages were established at a time of extraordinary need following the 2022 floods, providing a safe place for people who had lost their homes or could not return home.
“They were always intended to be temporary, and as this program comes to an end our focus is on supporting residents through that transition while making sure these publicly funded assets continue to deliver benefits for Northern Rivers communities.
“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.”
Minister for Housing Rose Jackson said:
“The temporary pod villages have provided an important lifeline to people who would’ve been at risk of homelessness, but they are not a substitute for long-term housing.
“Our focus has been on building more secure, long-term homes in the Northern Rivers and supporting each and every resident of the pod village to find a new safe place to call home.
“We’ve made significant progress so far, delivering more than 300 new homes in the region and there is more on the way, with nearly 100 new homes on track for completion in the first half of next year to support vulnerable people in the community.”
NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO Kate Fitzgerald said:
“The temporary housing villages played an important role in the immediate response to the 2022 floods, providing accommodation when thousands of people across the Northern Rivers were displaced.
“As we move beyond that temporary response, the NSW Reconstruction Authority is working with Homes NSW, councils and other partners to make the best possible use of the villages and the temporary housing pods we own.
“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.”
