Bushfire survivors given a further two years to stay on their land in temporary accommodation

The NSW government made a number of amendments to the NSW planning framework to support bushfire recovery. One of these measures was to allow temporary occupation of land in the form of a moveable dwelling for a period of up to two years.

That period is soon to expire for those who have been occupying land under this provision following the fires and so council agreed to extend the time frame for a further two years.

In doing so there was acknowledgement that many households affected by the Black Summer bushfires continue to live on their land in temporary accommodation with limited financial, physical, psychological and emotional means to progress redevelopment.

Council said 467 dwellings were lost in the Bega Valley in the Black Summer bushfires, of which just 34 have been rebuilt to date. There has been a total of 117 development applications for dwelling rebuilds, of which, council has issued 112 development consents.

In a report to council, director community environment and planning, Alice Howe said many of the people living in the 467 dwellings that were destroyed had chosen to remain on their land, in temporary accommodation.

"Reasons to do this range from wanting to be on the land to facilitate recovery to having no viable financial alternative," Dr Howe said.

"Feedback from council's Recovery Support Service indicates that uncertainty about the status of their occupation beyond the initial two year grace period is affecting the wellbeing of some clients."

Dr Howe said recovery can take time and often more than two years before people are in the right frame of mind, financially or physically able.

"This timeframe has also been affected by COVID and the associated economic stimulus, which has increased development pressure resulting in increased assessment processing timeframes, reduced availability of consultants and contractors, and increased cost and reduced availability of materials," Dr Howe said.

The two-year extension has been granted from January 1, 2022.

A spokesman for the Minderoo Foundation said they were "in constant contact" with people who have been given the Minderoo pods as a temporary home after the bushfires and had extended the time they could stay in situ by another 12 months.

Pods were delivered to NSW between February and October 2020 and their use would be extended until September 2023, the spokesman said.