Horrified Wagga residents call for proper sanitation at homeless camp where baby was found dead

The tent where a newborn baby was found dead at Wagga beach at the weekend was part of a homeless encampment up to a 15-minute walk away from the nearest public toilets or running water, with residents in a nearby apartment block saying conditions were “worse than a Syrian war camp”. The tragedy has prompted fury in the community, with residents of Wagga Wagga calling on authorities to take urgent action to make the encampments safe and sanitary. The 37-year-old mother had been living on the Murrumbidgee riverbank with her partner when she went into labour. On Saturday police were called to the camp where they found one of her newborns had died. The woman and the other twin were taken to hospital. The woman has been discharged from hospital while the infant – who was in a critical condition on Monday – has been transferred to a hospital in Sydney. It is unclear why the newborn died. Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email One resident, who lives along the riverbank encampment but did not want to be named, said the woman, who is Indigenous, had not returned to the camp. It’s understood that the woman had other children who were not present during the birth and had not been living with the couple in the tent. Her partner was there during the birth. Wagga residents attend a town hall-style meeting on Tuesday to discuss the plight of homeless people in their city. …