Four Wytaliba families who lost homes destroyed in last year's devastating Kangawalla fire, will receive temporary mobile accommodation this week while they rebuild their homes.
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The 'recovery pods' arrived in Glen Innes this week, delivered by the state government and philanthropic organisation the Minderoo Foundation.
Andrew and Nicola Forrest's Minderoo Foundation helped provide more than 120 temporary accommodation of the pods across the state. They will go to people whose homes were destroyed but are choosing to remain in the area to rebuild.
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Mr Forrest visited Wytaliba and Tenterfield in January, after he pledged to spend $20 million through his charity on fire recovery.
Glen Innes mayor Carol Sparks and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall inspected the pods on Tuesday, ahead of their delivery to Wytaliba.
Two pods have also been provided to the Tenterfield Shire, with one each delivered to Drake and Tabulam.
"The trauma these families, in particular the children, experienced during the recent bushfire crisis will stay with them forever and it's important they are able to stay close to their family, friends and community," Mr Marshall said.
"These recovery pods are compact but provide all the essentials for housing for families which have no other options and enables them to stay onsite where they will rebuild their homes and their lives."
Each of the four 7.2 x 2.4 metre units currently in Glen Innes were constructed and trucked from Adelaide at a cost of around $30,000 each.
The homes are set to be installed by the end of May
They are fully self-contained and come equipped with a 2300 litre water tank and the capacity to handle a 5 KVA generator to provide power.
Each building also has a toilet, shower and small open kitchen with a two-burner stove and gas bottle.
Mr Marshall said they were "amazingly well fitted-out and comfortable" and will be provided free.
Mr Marshall added that from this week the State Government funded clean-up of fire affected properties across the region would also get underway.
"Locally based sub-contractors are in the process of contacting registered fire-affected property owners in the Glen Innes, Armidale, Tenterfield and Clarence Valley regions," he said.
From next Monday, he said residents would see heavy machinery working in their areas between 7am-5pm on weekdays and 8am-4pm on weekends, which may cause some traffic delays as crews move from property to property.
"Typically, it takes around two days for crews to clear debris from one property, dependent on weather and conditions, and longer for properties where there are hazardous materials such as asbestos.
"The clean-up will remove debris that is stopping people from rebuilding on their property, such as concrete slabs, damaged driveways, dangerous trees or outbuildings near to primary residences and hazardous materials.
"Laing O'Rourke staff will discuss with residents the specifics of how their property will be cleared, including details such as how any personal items located during the clean-up should be handled and what structures should be retained or removed before works start," he said.
