The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) has given Jimmy Willing less than 24 hours to remove an entire art studio containing tens of thousands of dollars worth of original art pieces by himself and other regional artists.
After the serving of the notice there were art pieces all over the street and some being hurriedly stacked into a truck that the RA has brought.
He is being evicted despite the fact that he has been in this home for two years with the RA’s full knowledge and acquiescence.
There have been several art shows here with several hundred people attending.
Jimmy has the permission of the former owners to occupy the house. This action is unnecessarily rushed.
I consider it unlawful because of the amount of time that Jimmy had been here; he is an occupier of a residential premises at common law and is entitled to the full legal processes owed to a residential occupant.
The RA’s acquiesce of his occupation of this site for over two years definitely gives him the status of an occupier at law and certainly not a trespasser.
The premises are extremely clean and neat. Jimmy has maintained the gardens and improved the area and has even been conducting routine maintenance of the surrounding properties and the street in general.
Jimmy is very well respected in the local community from all sections.
The RA is certainly digging a deeper pit for itself in terms of its social licence in post-flood Lismore.
Jimmy’s occupation of this site dates to well before the flood – he is a genuine flood survivor who has lived in this street for decades.
