Police remove squatters from buyback homes after court blow

A group of squatters living in buyback homes in a flood-ravaged NSW community were removed from the properties this morning as police stepped in to carry out orders of the Supreme Court.

Chels Hood Withey has been living in Mullumbimby as an illegal occupant along with many other homeless citizens in nearby Lismore.

The New South Wales Government bought back the flood-prone homes and boarded them up.

READ MORE: Squatters fight to remain in buyback homes in flood-ravaged community after court blow

But Chels removed the boards and moved in, putting a roof over the heads of her and four others.

"Why demolish perfectly good homes that the government spent millions of dollars buying back?" she said.

"Why not move them, set them up and put people in them?"

In May, the New South Wales Reconstruction Authority was successful in its Supreme Court action to enforce eviction.

"I've been trying to negotiate something to legitimise my stay here, pay my way," she said.

"They didn't want to meet us there, and as a final resort, they've taken us to the Supreme Court."

Today was D-Day for Chels and others, who were not copping the eviction quietly.

Chels is eligible for public housing and is currently on the waitlist.

Watch the full story in the video player above.