A skip bin full of items cleared from the Wagga Beach campside. Photos: Marguerite McKinnon.
Housing advocates who gathered at Wilks Park expecting to witness the deadline for homeless campers to leave were instead confronted by a different scene – council bulldozers clearing another campsite at nearby Wagga Beach close to where people were still living.
The operation has sparked anger within the community, with Wagga Wagga City Council and the NSW Government contradicting each other over who initiated the compliance action.
“You’re crushing a camp in front of people who are living down there. It’s quite traumatic,” advocate and concerned resident Vickie Burkinshaw said.
“We’re not sure if the machinery went over possessions or documentation that people might have come back to retrieve.”
A Wagga Wagga City Council spokesperson said contractors were removing abandoned camping equipment and clearing the area of syringes.
“Council staff and contractors today removed abandoned items from the Riverside Precinct. Machinery was also used to clear the area of a large number of syringes, which were then safely disposed of,” the spokesperson said.
The council said people living at the site had received Compliance Action Request letters.
“The letters informed the people living at the site that they are living there illegally and have until Tuesday 21 July 2026 to vacate the area. If anyone currently residing within this location requires assistance with moving any items, support can be offered.”
Ms Burkinshaw described the response as heavy-handed.
“The frustrating thing is that all the energy that’s gone into this could have gone into changing land use,” she said.
The sight of heavy machinery at the Riverside Precinct surprised people.
She said council had not explained what law people were allegedly breaking by camping at Wagga Beach, or why authorities were acting now after some people had lived there for years.
“We are seeking advice from Legal Aid on what authority is being used to carry out this action. People are very confused.”
The operation has also highlighted conflicting explanations over who is responsible for moving people on.
Council has said the compliance action was being driven by the NSW Government department Homes NSW. However, Homes NSW has denied directing the operation. The apparent contradiction remains unresolved.
Wagga councillor Richard Foley said the campsite had to be cleared because it was unsafe for people to continue living on the riverbank.
“The river is likely to rise with more rain events coming and I will not stand by and wait for someone to drown. Safety comes first. Full stop,” he said.
Some people continue to live by the river.
However, Cr Foley criticised the NSW Government and Homes NSW for failing to provide adequate emergency accommodation.
“The NSW Government … has provided nothing. No urgent funding for emergency housing,” he said.
“Instead we get photo ops, fresh flyers and shiny hi-vis vests and helmets promising housing that’s years away. That’s not a housing policy. That’s a PR strategy.
“Council should provide some suitable vacant land for a permanent transitional camping ground, funded by the NSW Government and operated by the Department of Communities and Justice, with proper wraparound services on site to get people the real assistance they need.”
The council’s handling of the homeless camps has attracted strong reactions on social media, with some residents calling for the sites to be cleared.
Cr Foley urged the community to show compassion.
“Are we really that heartless a community? I know some among us are. But I refuse to believe that’s who we are as a city,” he said.
“If we can’t pick up our fallen people, what hope do any of us have when we fall through the cracks? Every one of those people on that riverbank is somebody’s son, daughter, mother or father.”
Council said it had extended the deadline for people to leave Wilks Park until 21 July to allow more time for residents to engage with Homes NSW and the St Vincent de Paul Society for accommodation and other support before compliance and enforcement action begins.
However, Ms Burkinshaw said neither council nor the NSW Government had explained what would happen after people left.
“They haven’t told people what the plan is. That uncertainty is fuelling fear among people who are already living with enormous uncertainty.”
