Justice for Tiny Home Owners in the NSW Land and Environment Court

We’re Josh and Manu, and for the past few years we’ve lived in our Tiny Home on Wheels on a rural property on the NSW South Coast. For us, tiny home living is a practical and sustainable response to rising housing costs.

What we never expected was to find ourselves at the centre of a legal battle with Bega Valley Shire Council, who have threatened possible fines against us of up to $ 1M, plus $10,000 per day that we keep living in our home (more detail below - keep reading!).

Across Australia, so many people are turning to tiny homes. But the rules are inconsistently applied, council by council. We have spoken to dozens of people who are experiencing similar issues to us, and we know there are thousands more across NSW and Australia.

Our case could set a new and positive precedent for NSW and will contribute to clearer guidance and a fairer future for so many others.

The story so far

In 2025, Bega Valley Council issued compliance orders demanding that we immediately stop using our tiny home and that it be demolished. Council’s reasoning behind this was the THOW was a “building” which required development consent under the EP&A Act – which we vehemently disagree with. In these orders, Council stated that non-compliance could result in fines of up to $1 million + $10,000 for every day we keep living in the tiny home.

(Section 77 of the NSW Local Government (Manufactured Home Estates, Caravan Parks, Camping Grounds and Moveable Dwellings) Regulation 2021 states that there are exemptions for using moveable dwellings (e.g. caravans) without needing formal council approval. More specifically, the Regulation allows for one caravan for habitation by members of the owner’s household and maintained in a safe and healthy condition).

The compliance orders were issued to the landowners, who spent months trying to work with Council to find a meaningful solution. Unfortunately, they were left with no option but to appeal against the orders through the NSW Land and Environment Court.

Throughout the first stage of conciliation in the NSW Land and Environment Court, which has already cost thousands of dollars, Bega Council have continued to refuse our right to reside in our tiny home.

This process has already been expensive, complex and highly stressful - and we need your help.

The conciliation process is required by the Court to be ‘confidential’ and ‘without prejudice’, therefore we are not allowed to say anything more about Council’s conduct or approach to that process. Self-evidently, it has not assisted us, and the landowners will now have to continue with the Land and Environment Court litigation for many additional months.

But this isn’t just about one tiny house.

What your support means

Legal proceedings in the NSW Land and Environment Court come at significant costs. We expect that this process will cost more than $60,000.

Please help us to raise funds raised for:

• Legal fees (solicitor and barrister fees)

• Court filing fees

• Expert fees for preparing evidence

When the landowners invited us to reside rent free on their property, their long-term plan was to have on-site farm help – which will be important to them in their more senior years. As the Bega Council compliance orders where issued onto the landowners, money raised through Go Fund Me will go directly to paying their legal costs.

As we are committed to transparency, we will provide updates as the case progresses.

Every contribution, big or small, helps us continue this fight for tiny homes in NSW.

If you can’t donate, sharing this page or starting conversations about tiny homes makes a real difference too.

And, if we win the case and can recover our costs, all money raised will be redirected to the Community through a local charity working to prevent homelessness in the region.

Thank you for standing with us - it means the world.