Audit background 

Extreme rainfall across Eastern Australia throughout 2021 and 2022 led to a series of major flooding events that were declared emergencies in New South Wales. These events damaged houses and left many people homeless, particularly in the Northern Rivers, and the state’s Central West. In response, the government provided emergency accommodation to address the immediate housing needs of people during the flood events, and then temporary housing while people waited for long-term housing to become available.

Audit objective 

This audit will assess how effectively the NSW Government responded to the need for emergency accommodation and temporary housing following the early 2022 Northern Rivers and late 2022 Central West flood events. 

Estimated tabling period 

February 2024

Agencies audited: 

• Department of Premier and Cabinet
• Department of Communities and Justice
• Department of Regional NSW
• Department of Planning and Environment
• NSW Reconstruction Authority

Subscribe to this audit

You can subscribe to be notified of when the Auditor-General has tabled the report for this audit in Parliament by clicking on ‘Subscribe to this audit’ on the left-hand side of your screen.

This audit is open to taking submissions from members of the public and sector organisations or stakeholders. If you would like to make a submission to the audit, please consider the following targeted questions:

1. Did NSW Government agencies effectively communicate with flood-affected communities to understand their housing needs?
2. Did NSW Government agencies effectively meet the emergency and temporary housing needs of flood-affected communities?

Please note that the audit is not considering the long-term housing response to the floods, such as the Resilient Homes Program.

To provide feedback, click on ‘Contribute to this audit’ or the message icon at the top right.

Submissions will be accepted until 4 August 2023.

We will not publish the information you provide on our website or in the audit report.

In specific circumstances the Audit Office does have certain reporting obligations for matters relating to wrongdoing in the public sector that come to our attention. For more information on our confidentiality and reporting obligations for submissions, please visit this page.