The Lodge volunteers finding syringes and rubbish in a cleanup at Wagga’s river walking track. From left: Nelly Williams, Paul Hayes, Phillip Sgroi, and Ben. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
Families with young children are being warned to stay away from parts of Wagga’s riverfront, where volunteers say syringes, rubbish and makeshift camps are creating serious safety concerns.
A group of volunteers connected to transitional accommodation service The Lodge has taken on the unusual task of cleaning up sections of the Murrumbidgee River foreshore while building trust with the growing number of homeless people living in tents and makeshift shelters.
Their efforts come as homelessness in Wagga has surged by 2400 per cent over the past six years, with support services struggling to keep pace with demand for accommodation.
“Don’t bring your kids down here, no way, it’s not safe,” volunteer Paul Hayes said.
Lifting pieces of cardboard beside the riverbank, Mr Hayes revealed syringes mixed among piles of foul smelling rubbish just metres from the walking track.
“I’ve got a real passion to make this tidy again. I grew up in Wagga and this was a beautiful place to bring your family down. Now people just don’t come down here anymore. It’s not safe,” he said.
“We want it back to being beautiful but not by overstepping the mark with the people who do live here. It’s very sensitive.”
The Lodge provides transitional accommodation and support for people experiencing homelessness and hardship. Its volunteers say they have developed relationships with many of those living along the river and are trying to improve conditions for both campers and the broader community.
Mr Hayes estimates there are still dozens of abandoned shopping trolleys scattered along the river corridor.
Several volunteers have experienced homelessness or addiction themselves and now use those experiences to help others.
Phillip Sgroi, a former Presbyterian pastor, overcame trauma and drug addiction.
“We’ve come through the other side with God’s help and so we want to bring a positive input in other people’s lives, by showing them there is a way to get to the other side,” he said.
He said some people camped along the river because they could not afford housing, while others were dealing with family breakdowns and personal crises.
Ben, whose surname has been withheld, was homeless before finding support through The Lodge.
“It was a relationship breakdown. I did feel cut off from the community, but The Lodge has been really good for me. It’s very dignifying having a roof over your head. Even flushing toilets, mod cons, you know, normal things that people enjoy,” he said.
Paul Hayes stands beside wooden sculptures including a Bluey character made by homeless man Tony “The Mayor”. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
Volunteer Nelly Williams said she had watched the area change dramatically over the years.
“I never saw this as a child. I used to walk through this area all the time,” she said.
The volunteers are now seeking more support to help remove contaminated rubbish and restore the riverbank.
“There’s probably 30 main homeless who come and go just along this area along the river (to the left of Wagga Beach),” Mr Hayes said.
“And we know that because we know them by name. We know them reasonably well.”
He said some people appeared to be moving across to the opposite side of the river as cleanup efforts intensified.
“It would be great if they were moving into some permanent accommodation but from what we hear they’re just shifting to the other side of the river,” he said.
Safety is another growing concern.
“The key factor is safety as often people who are homeless do not feel safe,” Ben said.
Ms Williams refers to the conflict as “the river wars”.
Mr Hayes recalled the case of a young woman whose tent and belongings were allegedly burned after an argument with others living nearby.
“We got to know her very well and she had an argument with some people. When she was gone they burnt her tents down and burnt her site completely,” he said.
“She was referred to Edel Quinn centre who gave her a tent and a sleeping bag so she could come back down here. That really hit a nerve with me as I thought, is that the best we can offer as a community?”
Further along the riverbank sits a collection of wooden carvings created by a homeless man known as Tony, who used a chainsaw to transform fallen logs into artwork, including children’s cartoon character Bluey.
“We call Tony ‘The Mayor’ as he was in charge of this area and it gave him a lot of pride with that title,” Mr Hayes said.
“But we think he’s been taken to jail, so the place is abandoned.”
The abandoned campsite is now among the areas the group plans to clean up.
“We often say that if we had another Lodge, we’d fill it,” Mr Sgroi said.
“It’d be full in 24 hours,” Mr Hayes added.
