Families in desperate need of accommodation after the devastating northern NSW floods say they have been denied housing because they are Aboriginal.
Around 190 people from the First Nations community of Cabbage Tree Island in the Northern Rivers are now homeless, with the majority of those being 18 years old or younger.
The flooding disaster has exacerbated the existing housing shortage in the region.
"To find housing has been frustrating, because the accommodation isn't there," Chris Binge, CEO of Jali Local Aboriginal Land Council, told NITV News.
"We already had an accommodation crisis."
Mr Binge says that his organisation was successful in gaining access to some properties offered by members of the public, earmarked for some of the larger families of between eight and twelve.
Chris Binge, CEO of Jali LALC, says he is desperately trying to find accommodation for members of his community. Source: NITV News
"We had secured three homes, and on the 11th hour I got a phone call back from [NSW Department of Communities and Justice] saying 'we may need to change tack,'" he said.
"Once they found out that these families were Aboriginal, those properties quickly came off the market."
Cabbage Tree Island resident Teresa Anderson said she has experienced this first hand.
"We're getting knocked back from accommodation," she said, standing in the gutted remains of a community home.
"We haven't got a home. We've got nothing."
Ms Anderson and her sister Jane are helping with the clean-up in their community, but say there are no indications of where they will be able to live.
"We might not find anything at the moment. Hopefully the local land council.
26 families' homes have been completely gutted. Source: NITV News
"It's heartbreaking."
Asked whether she thought the government would provide assistance, Ms Anderson was not hopeful.
"What can we say? What will they do?... [The Australian Defence Force] have done a great job, coming in and helping everyone clean up, but that's not gonna put a roof over our head," she said.
"Where do we go from here? We just don't know. It's heartbreaking."
Mr Binge has been working tirelessly on the mammoth clean up operation in the community with the assistance of the ADF and has witnessed many locals seeing the remains of their community for the first time.
"Residents have been coming back over the last three days and basically doing a personal assessment on their homes and properties," he said.
Chris Binge coordinating clean up efforts with ADF members. Source: NITV News
"That process has been one the most emotional roller coaster rides I've ever been on... [Residents] have come back to see for themselves the reality of what's happened out here.
"There's 26 families... who have lost everything but the photos on their walls.
Mr Binge was also critical of the apparent lack of concern from the government.
"Again the disappointing thing is that a lot of people, high levels of government, didn't even know that Cabbage Tree Island... existed, and more importantly, was affected to the degree we have been.
