Richard Foley is putting forward a motion to pause evictions of the homeless. Photo: Chris Roe.
Wagga councillor Richard Foley is pushing for a pause on the eviction or displacement of people sleeping rough from council land until 30 September, arguing no one should be forced from shelter into the winter cold.
Cr Foley has also revealed that Homes NSW did not instruct Wagga Wagga City Council to bulldoze an abandoned homeless campsite near where people were still living on 7 July.
Following that clean-up action, council rangers issued further notices to people residing in Wilks Park and along the Murrumbidgee River, informing them they have until Tuesday, 28 July, to leave or face a $1000 fine.
The approach has been criticised by the Homeless Persons’ Legal Service, which has called on the local government body to show more compassion.
“Move-on orders and confiscation of personal property only exacerbate already challenging situations, undermining people’s ability to effectively engage with support services and secure appropriate accommodation,” Principal Solicitor Kira Levin said.
Cr Foley will put forward a motion at Monday’s council meeting calling for a more compassionate approach, with a temporary halt on evictions during the freezing winter months.
“For a person sleeping rough, a night in the open is not a matter of discomfort but of survival, carrying a real and foreseeable risk of hypothermia, serious illness and death,” he wrote.
“The most basic thing council can offer its most vulnerable residents through these months is the assurance that it will not be the hand that moves them from what shelter they have found into the cold.”
The issue of homelessness in Wagga has been thrust into the national spotlight after a baby died in a tent on Wagga beach in May 2026. This has sparked action by the NSW Government and council to find more secure housing for those sleeping rough.
However, Cr Foley said Homes NSW had not found enough long-term alternative accommodation, arguing many homeless residents could spend only a few nights in a motel before being forced back onto the streets.
The use of heavy machinery to clear a site at the Riverside Precinct has attracted criticism. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
He said his “simple and humane” motion sought to ensure that nobody would be forced from council land into the cold before 30 September unless “there is a genuine and immediate risk to life or safety, and that even then a safe place to go is confirmed first”.
Council previously said its compliance action against homeless camps in June 2026 was the direct result of a plan led by Homes NSW, at the direction of the NSW Premier and Minister for Housing.
In a question on notice to council, Cr Foley asked whether the removal of tents and personal property from Wilks Park on and from 7 July had been directed by Homes NSW.
“No instruction or request from Homes NSW was received in relation to this matter,” the council response stated.
The council also stated there was no one currently residing at the sites that had been cleaned up and said it had offered to assist with the storage and transport of personal items to support people making the transition. It also described the encampments as “unsafe”.
Housing advocates, however, say there are few permanent options available for people experiencing homelessness.
“People are being asked to pack up their entire lives and move to accommodation that might only be available for a few days. That’s just not viable, particularly for people who have pets or possessions that won’t be allowed in the accommodation they’ve been allocated,” Ms Levin said.
“We’re urging the council to take a compassionate response to these people who have nowhere else to go, rather than a punitive one. They need support to find homes that are safe and secure, not punishment.”
Advocates have also called on council to assist the NSW Government to set up a temporary camp at Wiradjuri Park with access to toilets, showers, heating and security for those displaced by evictions.
Original Article published by Oliver Jacques on Region Riverina.
