Deanne Phillips was only half joking when she said she was expecting a knock on the door from a council ranger waving a fine.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Ms Phillips and other East Orange residents are going old-school in their campaign to halt the redevelopment of social housing properties in Spring Street and Summer Street east.
In recent days Ms Phillips has been putting her reputation as council-abiding citizen on the line by taping flyers to telegraph poles around East Orange.
The flyers, which she and others are also placing in letterboxes, urge residents to contact state housing minister Melinda Pavey, MLC Sam Farraway, state MP Phil Donato (who wrote to Ms Pavey on behalf of a constituent last month) and council to protest the development.
"The people around here are in panic mode," said Ms Phillips. "We've had a really hard year with COVID and people are distressed enough without being told in the lead up to Christmas they're going to be relocated, without knowing where or when."
Ms Phillips said many residents were worried that the current blend of owners, renters and social housing tenants would be lost and the area could become a "ghetto".
She said she knew of one person who had withdrawn an offer on a nearby property after learning of the LAHC's plans.
The Central Western Daily has reported exclusively on the plans for redevelopment, which will see multiple social housing tenants moved on to new properties to allow the Land and Housing Corporation to demolish their 70-year-old homes to make way for a greater number of smaller properties.
Some social housing tenants are in their 70s and have been in their properties for more than 25 years.
"To think that this could happen to the elderly in our community," said Ms Phillips.
The action group is launching a website.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Send us a letter to the editor using the form below ...