Wardell temporary housing site
A temporary accommodation site has been established in Wardell for the Cabbage Tree Island community who cannot return home because of flood damage.
About the site
The Bath Street site is located within the Wardell Recreation Ground. It is used by residents of Cabbage Tree Island after the community were severely impacted by flooding.
Housing units will be available for residents for up to 2 years, with additional time needed for construction and decommissioning. The time spent in the village will depend on the housing needs of each resident while they find and settle back into long-term housing. This will allow time for rebuilding homes, moving, or finding a rental property.
Construction commenced in June 2022 and was completed in November 2022.
The village is managed by Uniting NSW ACT.
Site selection
Maintaining community connectedness is an important part of flood recovery. The Cabbage Tree Island community expressed a clear desire to remain close to Country, in acknowledgement and support of their connection to the area.
The site was identified as suitable for the community, as residents can remain together on Country. It was chosen in collaboration with Ballina Shire Council, Jali Local Aboriginal Land Council, Crown Lands and the Cabbage Tree Island community.
The site is owned by Crown Lands and is the subject to the provisions of the Crown Land Management Act 2016. The NSW government holds a Licence issued by Crown Lands to use the Wardell Recreation Ground for emergency housing.
The use of part of the Wardell Recreation area for emergency housing is only temporary, to assist the recovery of community members impacted by flooding. A requirement of the Licence is that the site is rehabilitated at the end of occupation.
Utilities and site services
The site includes utilities such as:
- power
- water
- sewerage
- garbage collection
- on-site parking.
Central BBQ facilities and shaded play areas are also available for communal use.
Managing the site
All residents will sign an occupancy agreement before moving into the Wardell village. This sets out appropriate behaviour and conduct for living in the temporary accommodation.
If someone is unable to comply with the terms of occupancy agreement, they may be required to leave the site.
The Community Housing Provider, Uniting NSW ACT, is responsible for:
- the day-to-day management of the site
- resident allocations
- on-site security.
Across all sites, the Community Housing Provider works closely with local Recovery Support Services (RSS) to provide support for residents, including:
- mental and physical health
- financial support
- options for returning to a more permanent living situation.
All housing units are cleaned before residents move in. Residents are then responsible for all ongoing cleaning of the housing unit, as it is their private home.
Contact the project team
For more information, contact us by:
- emailing housingtaskforce@reconstruction.nsw.gov.au
- calling 1300 003 227
If you're a member of the Cabbage Tree Island community and you're interested in residing at the site, contact Uniting NSW ACT on 1800 864 846
Village layout
