Buy-backs offered to Qld flood victims, what about NSW?

Southeast Qld and Brisbane homeowners are first to receive property buyback offers while flood-impacted residents in Northern NSW are left wondering when their turn will come. Here’s the latest.

While Northern NSW disaster-smashed residents sweat on answers on their future, the Queensland government has reached out to 23 flood-impacted homeowners with a voluntary land buyback as part of a $741 million Resilient Homes Fund.

A total of 40 buyback offers have now been presented to eligible Ipswich and Brisbane residents, with 213 properties throughout eight local government areas currently identified for buyback.

South Lismore resident Harper Dalton said Queensland usually get things done quicker than NSW.

“I’m disgusted NSW are making us wait so long considering it’s the second biggest disaster in Australian history,” Mr Dalton said.

“I don’t think we’ll have any updates until the budget is released around the end of October and most likely the premier is trying to keep an announcement as close to the election as possible.

“It’s disappointing. Like everyone has waited long enough.”

Lismore resident Harper Dalton with his dog Lemon and the damage to his home after the extreme floods earlier this year. Picture: Scott Powick

Over the border, funding to fuel the buybacks is coming through Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) and is the largest of its kind ever to be delivered in Australia.

Member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin, said Queensland had its act together on rescue and recovery, getting its resilient homes package in front of the federal government early on.

“The NSW government clearly did not have its act together (see the O’Kane/Fuller report) when the flood hit and with key parts of the recovery, such as the slowness of grants and sending the resilient homes package to the federal government, as the agreed process requires,” Ms Saffin said.

“Hopefully we should soon get an announcement, but we need it sooner than later to move past ‘living in limbo’ as many people are.”

The Mary O’Kane/Mick Fuller flood inquiry report was released in August.

Flood waste awaiting the big clean up in Lismore and surrounds. Picture: Darren Leigh Roberts

What’s on Qld’s table

The Qld buyback includes $350 million available for the voluntary purchase of flood-impacted homes, aiming to secure the purchase of 500 homes.

Qld homeowners have been offered two valuations of their property, one pre-flood and one post-flood, with the highest value being offered as the fairest price for their home.

Residents can then choose one of three options: retrofitting, house raising or voluntary home buyback.

Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said the government hope to have decisions on some properties settled before Christmas.

As at September 30, there have been 4973 registrations of interest in the Resilient Homes Fund, including 529 people registering a preference for the Voluntary Home Buy Back Program, 1387 for house-raising, and 1904 for resilient retrofitting.

Northern Rivers Reconstruction Commission CEO David Witherdin.

What’s on NSW’s table

The Northern Rivers Reconstruction Commission (NRRC) said it had committed more than $3.5 billion towards flood recovery support and programs, having already distributed around $800 million in aid so far.

A land expression of interest was released in August to gather information on available land.

“We know that the community wants information about what governments will do in regards to building back, and we are working through the details as fast as we can,” an NRRC spokesman said.

“Work has been underway for some time to gather data and understand what options are required to build back better.

“As of last week, the Flood Property Assessment Program team has completed more than 4000 inspections.

“The NSW government recently rolled out the Resilient Land Program EOI to identify land in the Northern Rivers that could be considered for potential future developments.”

Landowners wanting to register interest can learn more here. 

The NRRC did not have a comment on NSW buyback options at this stage.