The Pine Street squatters received their order to vacate from the Lismore Sherriff's Office last Friday, giving them thirty days to leave the NSWRA-owned buyback houses they have occupied for the last two years.

The writs were applied for when the NSWRA (Reconstruction Authority) won its case against the squatters in the NSW Supreme Court in May to regain possession of its buyback houses in Lismore and Mullumbimby.

Krisitie Clarke Executive Director of the NSWRA's Northern Adaptation Division, told the Lismore App she hopes the squatters will leave voluntarily.

"They have until the 10th of July to vacate the properties, and at that point in time, the RA will undertake assessments on the properties for their suitability for relocation."

Unlike March 28, when a security company failed to deliver a Statement of Claim to all RA properties on Pine Street, because they were surrounded and verbally abused for trying to execute their job, Friday's notices were received peacefully.

(Pine Street squatters on March 27 2025)

"I understand that they were served peacefully. They were attached to the premises and served to the occupants, and there has been no feedback received on that."

There has also been no feedback received from squatters on Pine Street.

"Nothing's come back through the RA that I'm aware of, and I think that gives time for the illegal occupants, despite our numerous requests to vacate voluntarily, to have a timeframe that they need to work to to get out."

The Supreme Court Writs have come at a cost of approximately $400,000 to the NSWRA. One of the concerns was that squatters would illegally gain entry into other RA-owned buyback homes.

"I think they've already started to, and that's an issue that we're managing with Homes New South Wales and with the police. It's an issue that we need to keep monitoring. However, we'll continue to work with those agencies to make sure that the properties are vacant for the RA to determine their suitability for relocation or removal, so that we can start progressing plans for future land use of those regions," Kristie said.

"They're moving into a range of properties illegally. They're going in and vandalising properties. We've had over ten (10) instances in the region of properties being vandalised that are either owned by the RA or are actually privately owned, where homeowners are planning to relocate them.

"So, it's been very disruptive from a community perspective, but also for the RA to be able to continue to plan and progress the removal of these properties. These properties are well signposted where there are plans to relocate them."

While the RA deals with new illegal squatters, the next step for the Pine Street houses, once they are vacant, is to assess them for asbestos and other contaminants and their suitability for relocation.