Stay or go: Lismore businesses post-flood crunch

As many as one-in-10 Lismore businesses who relocated after the floods may not return to the city. See the perfect storm which has driven some shops to nearby Ballina and Alstonville - and why they may stay there.

Empty and boarded up buildings line the streets of the Lismore CBD after business owners and landlords alike have been left without an income for months after devastating floods.

Owner of Lismore Florists, Jenny Jones, ripped up the floors in a room of her home to make a temporary business space after her shop on Conway Street was wiped out in the floods.

Ms Jones worked from her home farm at Stony Shoot for 18 weeks while her landlord repaired the store.

“(But) there’s nothing like having a retail shop again,” Ms Jones said.

Lismore florist Jenny Jones.

“We’re lucky our landlord was supportive and helped get us in Conway Plaza.

“We were the first shop really that got back.”

Ms Jones and her business Lismore Florists are back in business in the CBD, but not all businesses are returning after their shops were left derelict by the floods.

There are approximately 4000 businesses in Lismore, and 3000 were flood affected, according to Lismore Chamber of Commerce president Ellen Kronen.

Many businesses relocated to surrounding towns like Ballina or Alstonville temporarily, but it’s unlikely some will return.

Very few Lismore businesses have publicly announced they are leaving permanently.

About 100 have left so far, but Ms Kronen suspects as many as 10 per cent won’t come back.

“I think some of those have an intention of coming back but they probably won’t,” Ms Kronen said.

Ellen Kronen, president of Lismore Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Keen Street in Lismore. Picture: Nicholas Rupolo.

“Realistically, if you went to a beautiful new shop in Ballina that doesn’t (flood) – it’s nice there, and you can rebuild your business there – why would you come back to this (Lismore)? It’s a bit of a glorious mess.”

The bigger corporates like Officeworks and Spotlight are coming back just fine. But the problem is the local small, and micro businesses are struggling to get back operational.

Ms Kronen said 80 per cent of flood damaged Lismore businesses are still operating on one power point six months on from the devastating February floods – with commercial landlords struggling to finance repairs.

Grants for flood affected businesses may be the difference between shop owners who’ve been struggling to generate an income for six-months staying or leaving, Ms Kronen said.

“When you look at the number of buildings that are empty, often it’s a lack of money that the landlords just don’t have, or they’re just so stretched that you know, they can’t finance anymore.” she said.

“I know people love bagging landlords, but my experience with landlords ... they want businesses back in their building, because that’s their income.”

Lismore business owners have been left in the dark while electricity retailers and government play hot potato on the responsibility of reconnecting flood damaged premises, Ms Kronen said.

Stores are reporting service fees and power bills for electricity for derelict and uninhabitable buildings, followed by threatening debt collection notices.

“It’s just another layer of stress on top of everything else,” Ms Kronen said.

Electricity retailers are working to resolve the issues with individual businesses, but Ms Kronen, owner of Made In Lismore, said it’s too little too late.

“They seem to be a little bit tone deaf when they’re fielding complaints or trying to explain the situation,” she said.

“I had someone from overseas answer my call who didn’t even know about the Lismore floods.”

Ms Kronen said Essential Energy did a great job getting power back online in Lismore, but the town has been left with the bare minimum and shop owners are surviving on emergency infrastructure.

Murray Watts, Senator for Energy Management, was going to visit a delegation of flood affected Lismore businesses - only to cancel at the last minute, Ms Kronen said.

“If all levels of government know what’s going on then we might actually see something happen,” she said.

“The government could have a conversation with the power companies to have a better response next time.

“I hate saying ‘next time’, but there will be a next time.”