Homes NSW eventually booked Hudson on flights to Auckland via Sydney for A$1797 ($2239).
The international leg of the flight was cancelled by the airline, and Hudson said officials then tried to rearrange his travel.
“They were chasing me all day yesterday to try and sort it out. They were like, ‘We’ll sort the tickets out, we’ll arrange it again’ … But I’ve got my granddaughter now.”
Mark Hudson had been living in a tent beside the Murrumbidgee River in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. Photo / Google Maps
Hudson said he did not want to leave Wagga Wagga, where he has a girlfriend and was about to take custody of his granddaughter. He also has a dog he did not want to abandon.
“I didn’t want to leave Wilks [Park],” Hudson said. “I wanted to stay in Wagga. And it was just the approach was always bully tactics.”
After The Guardian contacted the NSW Government for the story, Hudson was offered accommodation.
Hudson, who has lived in Australia for 18 years, said he was a permanent resident and entitled to temporary accommodation. However, he did not have a record in Australia’s Visa Entitlement Verification Online system to prove his status.
Homes NSW maintained that Hudson, as a New Zealand citizen, was not eligible for social housing, the outlet reported.
The agency said it could cover travel costs when an ineligible person asked for help returning to their home country.
Hudson says he does not want to leave Wagga Wagga, where he has a girlfriend and is about to take custody of his granddaughter. Photo / Getty Images
A spokesperson said Hudson had initiated discussions about returning to New Zealand, where he had family.
“If he has decided not to return to New Zealand, Homes NSW will continue to work with him to identify alternative accommodation, noting he is not eligible for social housing.”
Hudson disputed that account, saying he had been pressured to accept the flight.
The Guardian reported that New Zealand citizens on special category visas could qualify for emergency housing. Hudson had also previously received Centrelink payments for six months before they stopped.
A former truck driver and farm manager, Hudson became homeless after moving to Wagga Wagga to be closer to family and being unable to find work.
His case emerged as authorities tried to clear the riverside encampment following the death of a newborn baby there in May. Residents were issued notices directing them to leave or face fines of up to A$1100.