Thank you, thank you, thank you for signing our petition last year.
Now, we're taking our battle for Tiny Homes to the Land and Environment Court. This could cost up to $60,000, and we need your help -> Link to GoFundMe
Despite the support of over 30,000 people just like you - who care about Tiny Homes on Wheels and real solutions during the housing crisis - Bega Council is continuing to deny our right to live in a Tiny Home on Wheels.
As a quick reminder, last year, Bega Valley Shire Council issued us with compliance orders demanding we remove or demolish our Tiny Home on Wheels on the NSW Far South Coast. We have been joyfully living Tiny on a rural property for the last few years.
The letter we received from Council told us that if we kept living in our home, we could face fines of up to $1 million and $10,000/day.
Their reasoning was that the Tiny Home on Wheels is a “building” which requires development consent under the EP&A Act – which we vehemently disagree with, as our home can be registered as a caravan and complies with size and weight requirements typically applied to caravans throughout Australia.
We have been trying to work constructively with Council, including through a petition that was signed by 30,000 people (thank you!) but ultimately ignored. Council left us with no other option but to take our case to the NSW Land and Environment Court, where we believe we will reach a positive solution.
This is where it gets interesting for our Tiny Home community.
Since we went public with our story last year, dozens of people have reached out to share similar interactions and threats they have had with their Councils. I know it's easy to rag on councils, and that's not my intention. But our situation highlights how planning frameworks and compliance action are inconsistently applied within NSW (and Aus). This uncertainty, as we all know, is a huge barrier for people interested in Tiny living.
Our case could set a precedent that helps clarify:
👉🏼 How Tiny Homes on Wheels are treated under NSW planning law.
👉🏼 The distinction between caravans and buildings.
👉🏼 The obligations of councils when exercising compliance powers.
The financial reality of challenging local Council by-laws, or their interpretations of legislation, in the Land and Environment Court is a complex and expensive endeavour. With thousands of dollars already spent by the landowners where we live to protect our right to have a Tiny Home on their rural land.
We have just launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise funds for the final stage of this battle – which is likely to cost in excess of $60,000.
The funds raised will assist with legal advice, court and expert fees in the Land and Environment Court proceedings, and ongoing legal representation.
If you care about housing justice, sustainable housing solutions, or even just the tiny home vibe - and you have the means - it would help us out so much if you can offer some financial support. We are expecting the rest of the court process to cost about $60k.
And if we win and can recover our costs, we will donate the money to a local charity working to prevent homelessness in the region.
Your support means the world - thank you 🙏