A homeless encampment beside the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, has become the focus of community outrage after a newborn baby was found dead there over the weekend. The tent where the tragedy occurred is part of a larger encampment that is up to a 15-minute walk from the nearest public toilets or running water. Residents in a nearby apartment block described conditions as “worse than a Syrian war camp.”
Community Fury and Calls for Action
The incident has sparked fury among Wagga Wagga residents, who are calling on authorities to take urgent action to improve safety and sanitation at the encampments. The 37-year-old mother, who had been living on the riverbank with her partner, went into labor and gave birth to twins. Police were called to the camp on Saturday and found that one of the newborns had died. The mother and the surviving twin were taken to hospital. The mother has since been discharged, while the infant, initially in critical condition, has been transferred to a hospital in Sydney. The cause of the newborn’s death remains unclear.
Living Conditions at the Encampment
Homelessness is a growing problem in Wagga Wagga, with multiple encampments in the area. The river camp, which includes about 10 tents, is considered relatively safer and quieter compared to other sites, with single women, some under 25, living there. However, access to basic amenities is severely limited. The closest public toilets are about a 10- to 15-minute walk from most tents and are closed overnight. Residents had been using water from a nearby apartment building until access was restricted.
City councillor Amelia Parkins said the larger Wilks Park campground in town is well managed, with waste collection and bathroom access. At a community meeting on Tuesday night, there were calls for the council to provide similar amenities to other encampments. “Council can do that,” Parkins said, “but that would have to be a short-term option, just to assist people with hygiene and sanitation right now.”
Water Access Controversy
Parkins is investigating whether the council requested the restriction of water from the apartment building after complaints from residents about encampment occupants using it. “Access to clean water is a fundamental human right,” she said. Wagga Wagga city council stated that it had been contacted by apartment residents complaining about people camping on private property, bathing, and intimidating residents. The council said it gave general advice to secure public areas but does not manage infrastructure on private property. The council also noted that public amenities at Wagga beach remain accessible during normal operating hours and that it was not informed about the woman’s pregnancy.
Broader Housing Crisis
Residents and councillors are calling for more permanent housing solutions, urging the New South Wales government to invest in social housing and fund support services. Homes NSW had worked with the woman’s family for years, providing short- and long-term property assistance, but the help was relinquished. Parkins highlighted the difficulty of short-term housing: “If you’ve set up camp down at the river, to then relocate for one or two weeks, only to then have to go back to the river.”
At Tuesday’s community meeting, residents were visibly shaken and outraged that the housing crisis had led to a woman giving birth in a tent. “Everyone’s pretty distraught,” Parkins said. “There’s a general feeling of hopelessness and helplessness.”
Government Response
The NSW housing minister, Rose Jackson, local state MP Joe McGirr, and Wagga mayor Dallas Tout are scheduled to meet on Thursday to discuss the baby’s death. Vickie Burkinshaw, president of Wagga Women’s Health Centre, backed calls for immediate practical solutions like access to clean drinking water. “There is no sanitation down there,” she said. In the long term, she emphasized the need for more social homes, noting a waitlist of about 700 people and waits of up to four years for even the most vulnerable. “Bureaucracy has tried to deal with this for a very long time, and we are just not getting the results,” she added. “We are not getting people off the streets. We are putting more people on to them.”
