November edition
NSW Reconstruction Authority
We will improve how NSW plans for disasters and make sure communities recover from them faster.
Welcome to the third edition of the Northern Rivers Recovery Update featuring information on the recovery, reconstruction and adaptation work underway.
In this edition you’ll find updates about the work being delivered by our local teams across the Northern Rivers in partnership with other agencies, councils and community. This includes the Resilient Homes Program, Resilient Lands Program, reconstruction works and temporary housing. We also have information about projects to increase community resilience, and the first Northern Rivers Disaster Adaptation Plan.
Buyback homeowners share their home relocation journey
The Resilient Homes Program provides homeowners with the option to relocate buyback homes out of high risk flood areas. Two neighbouring couples in North Lismore, Jo and Brendan Kilburn and Stacey and Ben Walder, bonded over their experience in the 2022 floods and their wish to move off the floodplain.
Ben was part of the ‘Tinnie Army’, with the Kilburns the last people he rescued from their home in Pine Street, North Lismore. Both families received a Home Buyback under the $790 million Resilient Homes Program and have relocated to Modanville.
Initially, they considered buying or building a home, but their strong attachment to their homes won out. “We had spent time and money renovating the house, so once we heard we had been approved for a buyback, relocation was the most viable option for us,” Jo Kilburn said.
Both families were sad to leave North Lismore but are looking forward to being out of the floodplain. “I was keen to get out of a flood zone… but we will miss our neighbourhood,” Stacey Walder said.
Key considerations for relocating your home
? Determine if the home is suitable for relocation.
? Choose suitable land.
? Consider the transport route.
? Assess your budget.
? Talk to your local council about approvals and documentation.
? Note land is to be cleared of all debris, when the home is removed.
If you are a buyback homeowner interested in relocation, contact the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) Concierge team on [email protected]
Resilient Homes Program
Home raising and retrofitting resources
? Flood Resilient Design Guide for guidance on works that will improve your home’s resilience
? Flood Resilience Technical Design Guide from JDA Co. for guidance about retrofitting and materials for builders and homeowners
? A Guide to House Raising from Living Lab Northern Rivers
? Resilient Homes Program fact sheets including how to prepare a Scope of Works and Quote and how to seek reimbursements.
Access these documents at nsw.gov.au/resilienthomesprogram
Reuse and recycling of buyback homes
After buyback homes are purchased, they are being progressively removed from high flood risk areas. Our priority is to relocate homes to safer locations; however some homes cannot be relocated as they are structurally unsound or are made of brick.
RA is delivering the highest quality reuse and recycling that is possible for these homes. Materials will be salvaged and separated, and directed to appropriate recycling facilities. A 75% recycling rate has been achieved through the removal of 18 homes and 8 land clearings during the first stage of our House Removal Program, providing a strong baseline for future phases. Moving forward, we anticipate a recycling target of 80%.
Two recycling trials are underway with Living Lab Northern Rivers, our home removal contractor, and a regional recycling expert. This work has produced a new benchmark in sustainable timber reuse. From the deconstruction of 3 houses, 9.5 tonnes of timber were successfully extracted for repurposing, reinforcing our commitment to circular economy practices and environmental responsibility.
The trials will identify best practice separation methods to maximise recycling, and identify commercial streams to recycle, reuse and repurpose materials, opening the way for reuse of future buyback homes.
Photos from Living Lab Northern Rivers (LLNR) timber deconstruction and recycling trial
Resilient Homes program update
*as at October 2024
Home Buyback stream
Home Raising and Retrofit streams
Looking for a local builder or relocation professional?
Search Live Northern Rivers – livenorthernrivers.com.au/listings
Building community resilience across the Northern Rivers
Australian Red Cross is working with 70 communities from Clarence to Tweed on a two-year project supporting community-led resilience to future emergencies.
The project is based on the Australian Red Cross Community-led Resilience Team (CRT) model, developed after flooding from Tropical Cyclone Debbie in 2017. Since then, Red Cross has collaborated with over 100 communities to build disaster resilience by establishing locally led CRTs to prepare for emergencies like floods, fires and heatwaves.
More than 260 activities have already been delivered across Northern NSW as part of the project, which sees locally led CRTs identify their preparedness priorities with support from Red Cross. This can include access to education resources for children, and training such as EmergencyREDI household preparedness, Emergency Management Information, Disaster Risk Mapping and Emergency Communications. Activities that foster community connection are also included, such as Get Ready Days and Hall Gatherings.
Recently, more than 50 people from Bonalbo and surrounds attended a Red Cross ‘Tales as Old as Time’ event, a story-telling activity to help build connections in the community which is important in recovery. The project is funded by the Australian Government and administered by NSW Reconstruction Authority through the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program (NRRRP). To find out more about CRTs and how to prepare for emergencies in your area, please contact [email protected] or visit www.redcross.org.au/prepare
Students to head back to new schools
The NSW Government has twice used its enhanced planning powers under the NSW Reconstruction Authority Act 2022 to return students back to flood damaged schools in the Northern Rivers.
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Students at Broadwater Public School are due to return to their school in early 2025, ending uncertainty for the community, while Blakebrook Public School will be completed during term two of next year. The schools were extensively damaged in the devastating 2022 floods. Construction is expected to take six to seven months, with both schools to be raised and to utilise new flood-resilient designs.
The NSW Government is rebuilding public education in NSW, and ensuring flood-impacted school infrastructure is replaced with flood-resilient permanent facilities.
Resilient Lands Program
The $100 million Resilient Lands Program is providing safer land choices for people to live in the Northern Rivers after the 2022 floods.
In August 2024, the Resilient Lands Strategy was released confirming the direction for the Resilient Lands Program. It identifies nine sites across the Northern Rivers, one in each local government authority and four areas for development in Lismore. The program will see around 4,300 new homes delivered. Timelines are available at nsw.gov.au/resilientlandsprogram
Lismore land sites
The North Lismore site is aiming to provide 85 homes combining new and relocated homes, community services and open space. This DA approved site is within a council designated growth area and close to key community assets including the proposed site for the relocated Richmond River High School.
Early works underway
Work is progressing at Mount Pleasant, Goonellabah with four buyback homes planned for relocation in late 2024. Land near Southern Cross University, East Lismore will see early works commence in 2025.
Supporting council to progress flood resilient housing
RA is continuing to work with councils to help accelerate housing opportunities including:
? Ballina Shire Council – Accelerating the planning and design of medium-density housing on Council owned land at Hutley Drive, Lennox Head.
? Clarence Valley Council – Collaborating with Transport for NSW on a transport study to unlock up to 1,000 new homes at Junction Hill on the edge of Grafton.
? Kyogle Council – Delivering up to 40 new homes to meet the needs of buyback participants. This bespoke place-based project will help keep communities together and support the recovery and vitality of Kyogle town centre.
? Tweed Shire Council – Facilitating infrastructure upgrades needed to support around 250 new homes on North Arm Road, Murwillumbah, and other sites.
? Byron Shire Council – Funding provided to support the delivery of up to 600 new homes at the Saddle Road Precinct in Brunswick Heads.
? Richmond Valley Council – Funding provided to support the delivery of up to 1,500 new homes and land at the Summerland Estate, just north of Casino.
? Co-funded affordable homes – Delivering affordable rental housing projects co-funded with Landcom, councils and community housing providers. These projects are expected to deliver up to 88 homes in Mullumbimby and Goonellabah.
Regional collaboration for improved disaster preparedness, recovery and long-term adaptation
Collaborating for Future Disaster Recovery
The NSW Recovery Plan sets out the strategic arrangements for disaster recovery operations in NSW. It helps coordinate efforts in disaster recovery for all hazards, while ensuring alignment with the NSW Emergency Management Plan.
Recently, RA hosted a Recovery Plan Forum in the Northern Rivers bringing together over 100 disaster recovery stakeholders from government and community. The forum was a valuable opportunity to learn and collaborate for future disaster recovery in the Northern Rivers, and included discussion on state and local plans and how to increase involvement from local communities and First Nations people.
Taking action in adaptation planning
In September, the RA held a workshop with regional and community leaders to commence collaboration to develop the Northern Rivers Disaster Adaptation Plan (DAP). As the Northern Rivers faces significant disaster risks, including floods, bushfires, storms, and coastal erosion, RA is leading the development of NSW’s first multi-hazard regional DAP.
The DAP will ensure the Northern Rivers is better prepared for and successfully manages natural hazard risks both now and in the future. Community preparedness actions are underway with the delivery of flood risk awareness activities and flood evacuation route mapping in partnership with the NSW SES and local Councils. Community consultation on the development of the DAP will continue until 2026.
For more information and details on how to get involved, visit nsw.gov.au/disaster-adaption-planning or email [email protected]
Temporary Housing Program update
We’re working with Homes NSW and Community Housing Providers to help flood impacted residents living in Northern Rivers temporary housing (i.e. pod villages) transition into longer-term secure housing.
? Individual support – Transition planning, financial planning, identifying pathways to employment, and connection to mental health services are among the supports being provided by Community Housing Providers and Recovery Support Services, with 460 active transition plans in place to support residents. Homes NSW is also conducting proactive outreach to support people to apply for social housing. So far, 327 households have exited the villages for more permanent solutions suited to their needs, including private rentals, social housing, aged care, returning home or other arrangements.
? Village Leases – The lease for the Wollongbar temporary housing village has been extended by Ballina Shire Council to August 2025 to provide residents more time for their transition and to undertake works to return the site to its previous condition. Extension of other temporary housing sites will be subject to site transition plans, landowner agreement and council support.
? Licence fee – For the last two years, accommodation across the villages has been provided free of charge. A licence fee has been introduced and will apply from December 2024 for people remaining. The introduction of a licence fee brings the temporary housing villages in line with other housing categories managed by the NSW Government and Community Housing Providers, and supports residents to prepare to return to private housing in the community. The fee will be based on an income assessment in line with similar schemes under existing social housing programs.
Significant reconstruction program underway
RA is overseeing a multi-billion pipeline of infrastructure projects with other NSW Government agencies. This work includes disaster recovery and reconstruction projects, as well as business as usual (BAU) work and is being delivered by local councils and the NSW Government.
There are over 2,500 projects in the reconstruction pipeline, including the development of schools and ambulance stations, and work on road slips and sewerage treatment plants. More information about these programs is available at nsw.gov.au/northern-rivers-recovery
Update on key programs being delivered by NSW Government Northern Rivers Reconstruction and Resilience Program (NRRRP)*
? $152 million program.
? 36 projects: 12 in pre-construction, 17 in delivery and 7 are completed.
? Projects include: 4 new bridges, upgraded pumps, enhanced evacuation routes and riparian revegetation projects.
Water and Wastewater Program**
? $145 million program.
? 84 projects: 15 in planning/design, 29 in pre-construction, 12 in delivery and 28 are completed.
? The program focuses on repair and recovery of water and wastewater infrastructure across eight local councils affected by the 2022 floods.
Drainage Reset Program***
? $5 million program.
? 77 projects to be delivered across Ballina, Rous, Tweed and Clarence local government areas.
? The projects are council nominated agricultural drainage sites requiring remediation or repairs following the 2022 floods.
*funded by Australian Government **funded by NSW Government
***co-funded by Australian and NSW Government