Parts of South Murwillumbah in the Northern Rivers area of NSW have been designated as severe flood risk zones. Under a voluntary buyback scheme operated by the state government, some houses in this region have been purchased from their owners and fenced off for 12 months, allowing for the reuse or recycling of the buildings’ materials.

A Murwillumbah local, Robyn Sweaney selected one such home as the subject of her painting. Parts of the town were particularly affected by flooding in 2017 and 2022, and she created this work in March 2025, just after the area was battered by Cyclone Alfred. ‘The North Coast is being hit more frequently by intense weather events, which has affected many living and working in the community,’ she says. ‘Lack of housing and housing affordability are problems Australia-wide, but it’s complex once houses are affected by flooding and storms, and people wish to remain in the area.’

A six-time Wynne Prize finalist, Sweaney has captured a house shuttered and still, awaiting its fate.