Watching Western Australians arrive home after the border reopened has been tough for stranded Bunbury resident Janelle Butler who has been living in a hotel room in New South Wales for five months and still cannot get back.
Watching Western Australians arrive home after the border reopened last week has been tough for Bunbury resident Janelle Butler."The WA border opening doesn't fix the problem for the ones who don't have a home to go to," she said.The 50-year-old has been stranded in New South Wales since last May, when she drove across the country to care for an unwell relative.Ms Butler and her two cats were left homeless with nothing but a box trailer of possessions.
In the meantime, she said she had lost her rental and had been paying for storage of the remainder of her possessions in WA.Her plan to undertake the cross-country trip home is a work in progress but with limited savings, the trip is unaffordable.WA Premier Mark McGowan did not rule out another border closure.
While Ms Butler supported Mr McGowan's actions in protecting the state from COVID-19, she said it had not helped her and others in difficult situations.Ms Butler is grateful for the support of the Jabiru Motel at Nambucca Heads on the NSW Mid North Coast, where she has been staying since October.Hotel owner Helena Smith remembers when Ms Butler drove up their driveway last October looking for long-term accommodation.
"She wanted to go home, she didn't think it would be long and then she'd be able to go home," she said."I've done what I think everybody should do and that is to help people when they are in a situation like Janelle's."But five months of living in a small hotel room, packed with her belongings and two cats, is taking its toll on Ms Butler.She is desperate to go home and restart her life.
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