NSW Premier Chris Minns has paid tribute to the resilience of the people of the Northern Rivers, pledging not to forget them during a tour of the flood-worn town of Lismore.
“It’s really important that the new government sends a message to the businesses and to the community that lives in this part of NSW that we are there with them for the long haul,” he said on Tuesday.
“There’s a real spirit that is evident in the main street of Lismore. It’s a resilience and an optimism that you don’t find in many parts of NSW or Australia or the world.”
Lismore and surrounding areas were hit by devastating floods just over one year ago that destroyed 5000 homes, killed five people and upended the community.
In October, the state and federal governments committed $700 million to rebuilding the region, including $520 million set aside for buying back homes from those most at risk of future floods.
But locals have raised concerns about the government agency handling the buybacks, the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation, saying it has failed to complete a single buyback.
Re-elected Lismore Labor MP Janelle Saffin – who swam to safety then helped others escape the 2022 floods – said she wanted to see more transparency from the reconstruction corporation and a greater sense of urgency.
She is calling for the corporation to publicly release its program of works as soon as possible.
Ms Saffin added that Lismore should be re-imagined when it was rebuilt, as was done during the reconstruction of Christchurch in New Zealand following its 2011 earthquake.
“We have to manage our own expectations, that this is going to be slower than we would like,” she said.
“But to people who are still living in a caravan in the shells of their houses I say we are with you.”
So far, 68 offers for buybacks have been made, however no owner has completed a settlement.
Valuations have been carried out on 252 properties, with 510 homeowners deemed eligible for a buyback.
The program, which offers buybacks as well as flood-proofing through house-raising and retrofitting packages, has received almost 6000 registrations of interest.
The former NSW government, while in charge of facilitating the scheme, announced the first offer had been made to a homeowner last month.
Ms Saffin said she understood there was some confusion and uncertainty in the community about how the scheme worked.
“The NRCC has a plan to do some relocatables and also have some land ready … we will have to talk with the Australian Banking Association because there are issues there that we will have to work out,” she said.
Mr Minns said it was important that when government funds were offered for relocation there were options for people to stay in the region.
“We want to keep Lismore together,” he said.
© AAP 2023
