The potent stench of sewage fills the air. With toxic sludge thick on the ground and homes riddled with mould, the flood has rendered Cabbage Tree Island uninhabitable.
Its Indigenous community of more than 180 people, half of them children, have been displaced.
There's no electricity, no clean running water and many are left with just the clothes on their back.
While the devastation in the area south of Ballina is similar to what is being experienced across the NSW's Northern Rivers region, finding accommodation has been an ugly and painful battle.
Racism has played a part in preventing families from getting a secure roof over their heads, according to Jali Local Aboriginal Land Council CEO Chris Binge.
"It's sad that in 2022, and in these really tough times with what's happened here, that that stuff still exists," Mr Binge said.
He has been working in collaboration with the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) to find longer-term accommodation.
Many people have been staying in hotels and evacuation centres in and around Ballina since the floods hit, but many centres are closing.
"We did secure three homes that could cater for the three largest families in our community," he said.
"And right up until the 11th hour we were informed, based on information that was provided to me back from DCJ, that those houses then quickly became unavailable.
"And for no other fact that these families were Aboriginal."
There are 23 homes on the island and most households are multi-generational, sometimes with 12 people living under one roof.
The department said they understood that all residents from Cabbage Tree Island had been provided with emergency accommodation.
"DCJ is continuing to work with partner agencies to help ensure no-one in flood-affected communities is left homeless," they said.
'Nothing like you've ever seen'
It was a rapid effort to get everyone off the island when the State Emergency Service (SES) called Mr Binge in the early hours of Monday, February 28.
He raced down to the island from Ballina and had less than three hours to get everybody out.
"I actually had to make contact with one of our local service providers, which is community transport, who had three 24-seater buses [to] actually try and get the bigger families off," he said.
The community had been through floods before, so some were apprehensive to go.
"My only comment to that was, 'yes, I would agree you've had floods before. But this is nothing like you've ever seen'.
"Did I know that? No. But I was only given that through the information that was coming through to me, through the emergency services."
Their fears were realised, with residents told to stay off the island to protect their health.
Adults were allowed back on Thursday to inspect what was left.
"They told us it's going to be anywhere from six months to two years," resident Dale Bolt said.
Covered in mud, he spent hours slowly shovelling sewage-contaminated sludge off the ground floor in his home.
He's determined to get it cleaned up.
"Cabbage Tree Island is our community. This is us. Everyone sort of sticks together. I think we'd rather be here than in Ballina," he said.
"I should be at work but I can't because I'm too worried about my house and there's a lot of other people like that. It's not a good feeling."
Lois Cook is originally from Cabbage Tree Island but lives 10 minutes away in the closest town of Wardell.
Her daughters were on the island when the waters were rising.
Ms Cook's own home was flooded too.
"Everyone's crowded out, there's just nothing for them at all, where are they going to turn? Me myself, I've got nowhere to turn," she said.
"They're in another place that isn't their home, they've lost everything on Cabbage Tree."
'We've been left out'
Ballina Shire Council is one of three local government areas affected by the floods that have been excluded from receiving extra Commonwealth disaster payments.
"The money that could come to the community would be highly beneficial for anyone who has gone through this flood," Ms Cook said.
The decision by Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ignited a level of anger and frustration, Mr Binge said.
"We've had a Premier that's come to our area and no contact was made with me," he said.
"We've had a Prime Minister that's come to our area, not once did he consider coming to look at Cabbage Tree Island and the devastation of what's happened here.
"It just looks like we've been left out. It really does.
"This Aboriginal community, this is over 100 years old this community and we have the potential to lose it."
Mr Morrison last week announced people in the Lismore, Richmond and Clarence Valley local government areas would be eligible to apply for flood relief payments.
The Prime Minister defended the delay in declaring a state of emergency.
"No amount of support is going to measure up to what people need in a desperate situation like this. I'm just being honest with you," Mr Morrison said.
It's not yet clear whether residents will be able to return home to rebuild their homes and lives.
The Australian Defence Force and emergency services including the Rural Fire Service and Ballina Shire Council visited on Thursday.
"The ideal solution for me right now is for government to step up and … have conversations with our community about what's going to be the infrastructure needs for this community to be maintained," Mr Binge said.
"We want to rebuild this community so these young kids have a sense of pride of who they are, where they come from, where they belong.
"If we can get through something like this. We can build a future that's even brighter.
"If we don't, then that will be to this country's detriment."
