Wauchope couple Anthony and Chloe Mahr have been waiting weeks for repairs after their social housing unit was flooded with sewage in March.
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The Port News visited their unit on Wednesday, May 3 and saw the damage was still visible.
While their furniture has been cleaned, the couple believe it's still contaminated with sewage.
"Everything still has sewage soaked in it," Chloe said.
Chloe is concerned it could spark future health concerns, if it's not properly addressed.
After the Port News made enquires, NSW Land and Housing Corporation (LAHC) flagged the situation as urgent and an inspector visited the unit on Friday, May 5.
Carpet was being replaced in the unit on Monday, May 8.
"We understand Anthony and Chloe Mahr have recently experienced flooding in their apartment and we are working to rectify this issue as a priority," a LAHC spokesperson said.
'Extremely sorry'
When the issue happened in March, a builder and plumber inspected the unit.
The plumber found the blocked drainage was most likely caused by debris from the builders.
"While the immediate issue has been resolved and we're satisfied there are no structural issues or defects to the building, we are extremely sorry about the Mahrs' experience and we're doing everything we can to bring the property up to the standards we expect," the LAHC spokesperson said.
However, the couple live in fear another flooding event could happen.
"They can't guarantee it won't happen again," Anthony said.
Anthony is blind and Chloe is legally blind.
They say the situation has been very stressful for them.
Their unit was one of 12 unit social housing apartments were officially opened in January after being built through the NSW Government's Future Directions of Social Housing in NSW program.
Management of the site
Community Housing Limited (CHL) was handed the units in December 2022 and have been managing the site.
The Mahrs said their unit was inspected by Community Housing Limited and their concerns were passed on to a representative for Land and Housing.
However, for weeks they had no communication with the government department.
Chloe is scheduled to have skin cancer surgery on Tuesday, May 9 and was concerned about returning to live in the property, given she'll be a high infection risk.
Community Housing Limited NSW State Manager Megan Davidson said the safety and wellbeing of tenants is a priority and the organisation responded promptly to the flooding issue.
"On each occasion when maintenance issues were reported by the tenants, CHL contacted the builder and a private contractor to rectify the defect," she said.
"CHL takes maintenance and repair issues seriously and will continue to engage with the builder and maintenance contractors to repair any concerns our tenants have."
Member for Oxley reacts
The Local Member for Oxley Member Michael Kemp said the issues Anthony and Chloe have faced are unacceptable and have caused unnecessary suffering.
"It's important their home is adequately maintained and they are reimbursed accordingly," he said.
Mr Kemp said he was concerned about potential issues within the Wauchope social housing project, which was opened in January.
However, he said he is relieved an investigation will be conducted and the necessary repairs are taking place.
Future steps
A LAHC spokesperson said they would like to sincerely apologise to the Mahrs and will be providing them with any support they may need.
"Everyone should be able to live comfortably in a safe home of the highest quality," she said.
In relation to the longevity of the social housing complex, a spokesperson said LAHC will continue to investigate the issue and monitor the unfortunate instance of an isolated sewer blockage at the development.
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