MEDIA RELEASE: PREMIER CHRIS MINNS STOP EVICTIONS CASE AGAINST HOMELESS COMMUNITY IN NORTHERN RIVERS

-PRESS CONFERENCE TUESDAY APRIL 22, 9am AT SUPREME COURT, 184 Phillip St, Sydney

MEDIA RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 21 April, 2025

The NSW ALP Chris Minns government is taking formerly homeless people from the Northern Rivers, Lismore and surrounds, to the Supreme Court to try and evict them from empty homes they’ve occupied. The occupiers are calling for them to be relocated not demolished, and that they be allowed to occupy until relocation. Stand in solidarity for housing rights, proper flood recovery and those facing eviction.

On April 12 the NSW government began Court proceedings against formerly homeless people but failed to present any evidence. So they adjourned Court for two weeks and are back with their litigious bullying on Tuesday 22nd April.

Join House You, Grassroots Action Sydney, Action for Public Housing NSW, Hands Off Glebe, NSW Civil Liberties Council, MLC NSW Greens Sue Higginson outside the Supreme Court for this Conference before the Minns-led Supreme Court directions hearing.

After the catastrophic flood in 2022, the state government bought homes damaged by the climate disaster, with the purpose of relocating them to higher waters. The government body - the Reconstruction Authority (RA) - boarded up hundreds of houses, cutting off their services and fencing them off across town. Demolition was never raised, it was never stated as a plan from the government.

Of course, Lismore and the Northern Rivers faced a dire housing shortage, so squatters occupied some of the empty houses, fixing homes and creating a safe haven.

Premier Chris Minns has launched shameful attacks in the media against the residents, igniting real violence in the community, with local far-right thugs attacking people on Pine St, Lismore, damaging cars parked on the street, and launching fireworks at buildings.

Chels Hood Withey, from House You, a housing group in the Northern Rivers said, "We call on the government to withdraw these proceedings. After three years, more than 5,000 flood victims are still waiting for meaningful assistance while the government focuses on evicting people with nowhere else to go. The NSW Reconstruction Authority has approved only 16 grants for retrofitting out of 31,000 affected households, the homes are sound and safe and the legal costs ($400,000+) could aid retrofits instead of demolition.”

Rachel Evans, Action for Public Housing NSW said, “Minns is an eviction and demolition government. 63,000 people on the NSW public housing waiting list and what is his solution? Minns just evicted people from Selwyn St, Paddington Boarding Homes, has given 150 Waterloo South public housing residents eviction notices, door knocked eviction declarations to 45 Mascot public housing tenants.”

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1858335714931967

Call Chels Hood Withey 0406 182 746
Call Rachel Evans 0403 517 266