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Newborn Found Dead at Wagga Riverside Camp, Second Infant Critical

The case has become a flashpoint for demands to fix Wagga Wagga’s strained housing and support system.

Overview

  • The discovery at Cadell Place along the Murrumbidgee River on Saturday left one newborn dead and a second infant in a critical condition, with their 37-year-old mother taken to hospital.
  • Police say there are no suspicious circumstances, have established a crime scene, and will prepare a report for the coroner.
  • NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson requested Homes NSW review the family’s case and said the agency had been in contact with them over several years.
  • Local leaders, including councillor Richard Foley and MP Joe McGirr, called for urgent outreach, crisis beds and a coordinated response across council, state and federal services.
  • About a dozen tents now line the river near Wagga Beach and waits for social housing in the city often stretch five to ten years, which advocates say reflects a wider shortage of safe, affordable homes.