The original eviction letter wanted the rough sleepers out by July 28, council has officially reversed the decision

Furore surrounded a letter handed out by council at the start of the month, ordering the people living at the North Wagga campsite to leave by July 28.

That led to an intense week of recriminations over what would happen to the people if they are forced to move on. The Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) originally denied knowledge of the eviction notice, while Wagga council were adamant it was handed out in consultation with the government.

The week ended with DCJ and the council appearing to band back together to attempt to solve the problem, but there was still some uncertainty about the future of the campers at the site.

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Wagga City Council General Manager Peter Thompson told the Daily Advertiser that council will now be leaving the homeless where they are.

"Currently, there are still people living in Wilks Park who need support from the NSW Government to gain access to long-term accommodation," he said.

"In the circumstances as they currently exist, Council will take no action to move these people on."

He said that the rough sleepers deserve a "whole of government" response to their needs, and it is "the NSW Government [who] is responsible for providing genuine solutions".

"Council will participate in the process where it has a role," he said.

One rough sleeper at WiIlks Park, who wished to remain anonymous, told the DA that the residents have seen an increased presence from DCJ outreach services since the start of the month, with some people being homed in temporary accommodation.

They said DCJ has organised a skip bin to be placed at the park for a clean up this Friday, but they would still rather see the money go towards installing amenities such as showers for campers.

They said that being able to stay at the campsite feels like a win, but wondered if the next council letter might not be too far away.

For their part a DCJ confirmed that they have increased outreach at the park to twice a week since July 18.

They estimate 20 people are sleeping rough at the park, all of whom have been offered help. To date, two people have accepted the offer and been provided with housing elsewhere.

"In addition, starting this week DCJ staff will set up a weekly mobile outreach office at the park where people sleeping rough are able to access the same service as they would at a DCJ office," a DCJ spokesperson said.

"DCJ continues to work closely with Wagga City Council, including regular meetings to discuss how best to support people sleeping rough in Wilks Park."

DCJ confirmed that campers were advised that a skip bin will be provided to keep the site clean for their community and the wider public.

Jasmine Woodland, from Anglicare child and family services Riverina, said that a few weeks on, it is clear that the incident was poorly handled. "At the end of the day, you can't move homeless to another homeless spot. Really, it was pretty ironic to think that that could happen," she said.

"Rather than evicting people we should come up with a solution first.

"It shouldn't be eviction, it should be these are the options we've got to offer, because where are people going to move? Another site that they're going to get evicted from as well."

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