Business owners in Lismore have urged the government to provide more support for commercial landlords as a two-speed economy opens up locally between outfits that were able to clean up the flood damage quickly and those that are too cash-strapped to carry out repairs or are still waiting on insurance.

As the NSW government waits on the federal government to announce whether it will jointly fund a multibillion-dollar flood recovery scheme in the Northern Rivers aimed at residents, business owners have called for targeted support to make sure commercial enterprises do not leave the town for good.