Mrs Wadwell said work had already begun on a social housing site several doors down from her home on Boston Street, despite continued protests and appeals from the Moree community.

“In my opinion, if (NSW Housing Minister David) Borger admitted that he’d made a mistake in this country area with (double) storey buildings, we’d be happy to compromise,” she said.

Speaking at her home yesterday afternoon, Mrs Wadwell, fighting back tears, said Moree residents were not against social housing in their shire, but the way in which the NSW Government had gone about the process.

“We have to compromise but they don’t, and if that’s not bullying, what is?” she said.

“They’re dictating to us. They’ve given people in this country area no consideration whatsoever.”

Mrs Wadwell said she believed the State Government was riding roughshod over regional Australians because they didn’t get the majority of their votes from rural Australia.

“Unless they change their attitude, which would make us more approachable to the situation, I don’t think there’s anything that can be done.”

She said she implored the government to see the lack of sense in the construction of two-storey units for elderly social housing residents who would continually have to use stairs to go about their business.