The surviving baby was taken to hospital and remained in critical condition on Monday afternoon, authorities said. Police reported no suspicious circumstances. Local media said the woman had recently given birth. What caused the baby's death has not been confirmed.
According to The Guardian, local councillor Richard Foley described the death as a tragedy and said the housing crisis had gotten 'out of hand'. He noted the river encampment had grown each year as Wagga Wagga saw a substantial rise in rough sleepers. A 2024 council paper indicated 257 homeless people in the area, a 71% increase from eight years earlier.
We’ve now had a death of a young baby, a newborn baby, in a tent.
The rental vacancy rate in the Riverina was at a record low of 0.6% in January 2025, according to PRD Real Estate. Foley was working on a fresh report into rough sleepers and called on the state government to act. He said there was a lack of public housing and that promised new social housing would only replace existing stock. Comment was being sought from the NSW homelessness minister.
A newborn child is deceased, and another one is in a serious condition. The mother was escorted to hospital on the weekend, which is just unacceptable.
Let’s face it, we’ve seen this type of thing across all cities. But it’s growing in number out here. And the rental availability in this city is beyond a crisis. This is an emergency.
A line in the sand has got to be drawn. People are sick and tired of the political class, which is just totally disconnected.