Wagga City Council has been at the centre of community ire over its order to move the homeless from Wilks Park, and some councillors now admit issuing the eviction letters was wrong.
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Councillor Amelia Parkins said the feeling among councillors at their Monday night workshop, which discussed the issue, was that "the eviction notice shouldn't have been issued".
"It was completely unnecessary," Cr Parkins said.
Councillor Tim Koschel agreed, but reiterated the council's claims that the issue lies at the feet of the state government and the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).
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"The first part is that it needs to be noted that it wasn't a councillor decision. It was a decision made internally with council working with the state government. It looks like the state government has left it straight on the local council," Cr Koschel said.
"I don't think the eviction notices should have been given without informing the councillors."
Councillor Dan Hayes was also critical of the state government's role in the debacle, and regretted the stress caused by the eviction letter.
"No, I don't think the eviction notice should have been given," he said.
"What council can do is advocate for our community for the state government to do its job. We're not going to start doing what the state government isn't, we don't have the resources or funds to do it."
Councillor Rod Kendall said the eviction notice was given "basically at the request of DCJ ... so they could start the next step of helping, but they've been missing in action".
The eviction letter was given for the right purpose and with "good intentions", according to deputy mayor Jenny McKinnon, but wasn't backed up by DCJ help, so it had "turned out badly".
Mayor Dallas Tout said a lack of social housing was the major issue and that all stakeholders "need to work together to resolve it for the betterment of the members of our community".
All councillors were contacted by The DA.
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