The deadline has arrived for the homeless living at Wilks Park in the NSW city of Wagga.
Rough sleepers were issued move-on notices by Wagga Wagga Council, in the state’s Riverina region, two weeks ago, which stated campers residing at the park had until the July 7 to be gone.
Among those who fought against the deadline was Wilks Park resident JJ, who said the eviction leaves him without a place to call home.
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“I understand we have to go…but we have nowhere to go. All we need is more time,” he said.
Preparing for enforcement to come on July 7, community advocates stood at the park all day waiting for authorities.
“We have legal observers, we have a lawyer coming and we have the Wagga community here to show their support to the people who live here who have nowhere to go,” Leigh Swansborough said.
Working alongside Wagga Wagga council, Homes NSW said accommodation had been offered to every rough sleeper living at the camp.
However the homeless claim they had only been given short-term accommodation options of up to seven days.
Wagga council said it had extended the timeframe for homeless campers to “allow those living at Wilks Park to engage with Homes NSW”.
On Tuesday, a team of council rangers arrived at the camp in full force, removing what they deemed to be “an abandoned campsite” along the Murrumbidgee River.
Watching the removal unfold, community advocate Angelo Tseros said she was distressed at the scenes.
“I am just witnessing something that somebody called home be discarded and thrown into rubbish, it’s all they had and now it’s gone,” Tseros said.
Tim Verhoef, who spent the afternoon delivering firewood to Wilks Park residents, dubbed the removal “heartless”.
“What have we become as a society when we are doing that? It’s ridiculous,” he said.
Wagga council also issued more notices to those sleeping rough at the river, and now also at Oura Beach.
Rough sleepers have until July 21 to leave the grounds before enforcement is initiated.
Local councillor Richard Foley said the notices were “inevitable” as “long term encampment along the riverbank with rising river levels is a big problem”.
“The state government and minister have failed this city,” Foley said.
Efforts to address Wagga’s homeless crisis has been triggered by the tragic death of a stillborn baby on Wagga’s riverbank in May this year.
The tragedy sparked a visit from Homelessness Minister Rose Jackson, who said she was “confident that we can offer a place for absolutely everybody”.
Since her visit, community members say they are “yet to see any change”.
