New Lambton resident slept in car after landslide evacuation

The Advertiser

14 hours ago

A New Lambton resident affected by the landslide said she was forced to sleep in her car for several nights after her home was evacuated and deemed unsafe.
Cynthia Yang spent June 13 removing items from her home with the help of removalists after hearing through the media about evacuated residences being looted in the past week.
She was at work when her home was evacuated due to the landslide on May 23, but was alerted by housemates when they heard "cracking sounds".
"My housemate just texted me," she said. "I thought it must have been a neighbour having a party, so I didn't really pay attention.
"It wasn't until later on they sent me a photo of the backyard that I knew something was serious."
Ms Yang is a renter and said she wasn't contacted by authorities about the evacuation. When she returned she was told she couldn't go in the house.
"So I was sleeping in the car for the first two nights," she said.
"When they hosted the first community meeting, my name wasn't on the list, so they probably didn't even know I was a resident here."
Emergency accommodation has now been sorted for Ms Yang, but she said the situation had been a "struggle".
"They said initially it was for three weeks and we might get a chance to extend it, but I'm not 100 per cent sure," she said. "I haven't been told yet.
"So every week we're just living week by week. I'm still trying to find property to rent, but until today they told me there was no access to get my stuff.
"They have given us a few chances to go in, just for essential items but it's like 30 minutes minutes each time and they give you short notice. Also you have to really work around your work and study time.
"I've actually spent more money than my regular week with moving - I've relocated to a motel where you can't cook, you can't do washing, you have to pay for it or you have to ask your friend to do a favour."
Ms Yang was in the process of moving her belongings to a storage unit on June 13.
"It is hard," she said.
"I'm a migrant, so there's a lot of about the Australian system I don't really know. So, I'm just trying to find my way."
The Newcastle Herald recently reported residents were facing months longer out of their homes as below-ground geotechnical assessment was expected to take about 20 weeks.
An update on the City of Newcastle website on June 10 said the landslide said residents had been advised of the expected timeframe and process for the detailed engineering investigations that are required to determine a plan for the impacted properties.
"We also confirmed that we will provide relevant information to insurers to support residents in their claims, including claims related to medium to long-term accommodation for the period while the investigations are carried out and recommendations are developed for the long-term safety and management of the site," the update said.
"We will add further information when we can as we work through the emergency response, and as we transition to the recovery phase."
A New Lambton resident affected by the landslide said she was forced to sleep in her car for several nights after her home was evacuated and deemed unsafe.
Cynthia Yang spent June 13 removing items from her home with the help of removalists after hearing through the media about evacuated residences being looted in the past week.
She was at work when her home was evacuated due to the landslide on May 23, but was alerted by housemates when they heard "cracking sounds".
"My housemate just texted me," she said. "I thought it must have been a neighbour having a party, so I didn't really pay attention.
"It wasn't until later on they sent me a photo of the backyard that I knew something was serious."
Ms Yang is a renter and said she wasn't contacted by authorities about the evacuation. When she returned she was told she couldn't go in the house.
"So I was sleeping in the car for the first two nights," she said.
"When they hosted the first community meeting, my name wasn't on the list, so they probably didn't even know I was a resident here."
Emergency accommodation has now been sorted for Ms Yang, but she said the situation had been a "struggle".
"They said initially it was for three weeks and we might get a chance to extend it, but I'm not 100 per cent sure," she said. "I haven't been told yet.
"So every week we're just living week by week. I'm still trying to find property to rent, but until today they told me there was no access to get my stuff.
"They have given us a few chances to go in, just for essential items but it's like 30 minutes minutes each time and they give you short notice. Also you have to really work around your work and study time.
"I've actually spent more money than my regular week with moving - I've relocated to a motel where you can't cook, you can't do washing, you have to pay for it or you have to ask your friend to do a favour."
Ms Yang was in the process of moving her belongings to a storage unit on June 13.
"It is hard," she said.
"I'm a migrant, so there's a lot of about the Australian system I don't really know. So, I'm just trying to find my way."
The Newcastle Herald recently reported residents were facing months longer out of their homes as below-ground geotechnical assessment was expected to take about 20 weeks.
An update on the City of Newcastle website on June 10 said the landslide said residents had been advised of the expected timeframe and process for the detailed engineering investigations that are required to determine a plan for the impacted properties.
"We also confirmed that we will provide relevant information to insurers to support residents in their claims, including claims related to medium to long-term accommodation for the period while the investigations are carried out and recommendations are developed for the long-term safety and management of the site," the update said.
"We will add further information when we can as we work through the emergency response, and as we transition to the recovery phase."
A New Lambton resident affected by the landslide said she was forced to sleep in her car for several nights after her home was evacuated and deemed unsafe.
Cynthia Yang spent June 13 removing items from her home with the help of removalists after hearing through the media about evacuated residences being looted in the past week.
She was at work when her home was evacuated due to the landslide on May 23, but was alerted by housemates when they heard "cracking sounds".
"My housemate just texted me," she said. "I thought it must have been a neighbour having a party, so I didn't really pay attention.
"It wasn't until later on they sent me a photo of the backyard that I knew something was serious."
Ms Yang is a renter and said she wasn't contacted by authorities about the evacuation. When she returned she was told she couldn't go in the house.
"So I was sleeping in the car for the first two nights," she said.
"When they hosted the first community meeting, my name wasn't on the list, so they probably didn't even know I was a resident here."
Emergency accommodation has now been sorted for Ms Yang, but she said the situation had been a "struggle".
"They said initially it was for three weeks and we might get a chance to extend it, but I'm not 100 per cent sure," she said. "I haven't been told yet.
"So every week we're just living week by week. I'm still trying to find property to rent, but until today they told me there was no access to get my stuff.
"They have given us a few chances to go in, just for essential items but it's like 30 minutes minutes each time and they give you short notice. Also you have to really work around your work and study time.
"I've actually spent more money than my regular week with moving - I've relocated to a motel where you can't cook, you can't do washing, you have to pay for it or you have to ask your friend to do a favour."
Ms Yang was in the process of moving her belongings to a storage unit on June 13.
"It is hard," she said.
"I'm a migrant, so there's a lot of about the Australian system I don't really know. So, I'm just trying to find my way."
The Newcastle Herald recently reported residents were facing months longer out of their homes as below-ground geotechnical assessment was expected to take about 20 weeks.
An update on the City of Newcastle website on June 10 said the landslide said residents had been advised of the expected timeframe and process for the detailed engineering investigations that are required to determine a plan for the impacted properties.
"We also confirmed that we will provide relevant information to insurers to support residents in their claims, including claims related to medium to long-term accommodation for the period while the investigations are carried out and recommendations are developed for the long-term safety and management of the site," the update said.
"We will add further information when we can as we work through the emergency response, and as we transition to the recovery phase."
A New Lambton resident affected by the landslide said she was forced to sleep in her car for several nights after her home was evacuated and deemed unsafe.
Cynthia Yang spent June 13 removing items from her home with the help of removalists after hearing through the media about evacuated residences being looted in the past week.
She was at work when her home was evacuated due to the landslide on May 23, but was alerted by housemates when they heard "cracking sounds".
"My housemate just texted me," she said. "I thought it must have been a neighbour having a party, so I didn't really pay attention.
"It wasn't until later on they sent me a photo of the backyard that I knew something was serious."
Ms Yang is a renter and said she wasn't contacted by authorities about the evacuation. When she returned she was told she couldn't go in the house.
"So I was sleeping in the car for the first two nights," she said.
"When they hosted the first community meeting, my name wasn't on the list, so they probably didn't even know I was a resident here."
Emergency accommodation has now been sorted for Ms Yang, but she said the situation had been a "struggle".
"They said initially it was for three weeks and we might get a chance to extend it, but I'm not 100 per cent sure," she said. "I haven't been told yet.
"So every week we're just living week by week. I'm still trying to find property to rent, but until today they told me there was no access to get my stuff.
"They have given us a few chances to go in, just for essential items but it's like 30 minutes minutes each time and they give you short notice. Also you have to really work around your work and study time.
"I've actually spent more money than my regular week with moving - I've relocated to a motel where you can't cook, you can't do washing, you have to pay for it or you have to ask your friend to do a favour."
Ms Yang was in the process of moving her belongings to a storage unit on June 13.
"It is hard," she said.
"I'm a migrant, so there's a lot of about the Australian system I don't really know. So, I'm just trying to find my way."
The Newcastle Herald recently reported residents were facing months longer out of their homes as below-ground geotechnical assessment was expected to take about 20 weeks.
An update on the City of Newcastle website on June 10 said the landslide said residents had been advised of the expected timeframe and process for the detailed engineering investigations that are required to determine a plan for the impacted properties.
"We also confirmed that we will provide relevant information to insurers to support residents in their claims, including claims related to medium to long-term accommodation for the period while the investigations are carried out and recommendations are developed for the long-term safety and management of the site," the update said.
"We will add further information when we can as we work through the emergency response, and as we transition to the recovery phase."