The February and March 2022 flood events displaced thousands of residents in the Northern Rivers, creating an urgent need for a huge
volume of temporary housing. The NSW Government quickly set up the $350 million Temporary Housing Program and NSW Public Works
started immediately on procurement activities.

NSW Public Works’ role has been to procure site preparation works for temporary housing villages, including electricity, water, sewer, communications, roads and access. “We have engaged a series of managing contractors, with a focus on using local contractors and giving opportunities for local businesses to be part of the recovery,” said NSW Public Works Director of Construction Procurement and Social Benefit Andrew Cruckshank.

Another mammoth responsibility was procuring temporary housing for the sites. This was no easy task given the existing shortage of temporary housing created by the COVID pandemic. “The biggest challenge for NSW Public Works was securing housing in the quantity and timeframes needed to
meet the needs of the community.”

Following a market sounding and consultation with other agencies, NSW Public Works procured a suite of options to suit each community’s needs. Across the Northern Rivers there is a mix of newly fabricated modular housing (manufactured offsite), caravans, emergency “pods” supplied by the Minderoo Foundation, and refurbished Department of Education school demountable buildings.

“Delivery of the program has been an enormous undertaking—the scale of which is unprecedented for NSW. NSW Public Works ability to tap into a significant volume of experienced practitioners, as well as use our local knowledge and presence has meant we are well placed to support this critical community recovery,” said Mr Andrew Cruckshank.

This article is part of the 2021-22 Year in Review