‘Cut off and isolated’: South Lismore low priority for NRRC despite flood deaths

The agency handling buybacks in flood-ravaged regions has classified future events in South Lismore as “low risk” despite three people dying in the area. Here’s what we know.

Rahima Jackson pictured next to her house in South Lismore that burned down during the February 2022 flood event.

A report which indicates the risk areas for future catastrophic floods in the Northern Rivers has classified one of the worst-hit parts of Lismore as low risk, meaning it is less of a priority for government buybacks.

Mapping created to assist with prioritisation of buybacks which highlights areas “which pose the greatest risk to life” of future floods, with South Lismore - where three of the four deaths in Lismore were recorded - deemed a lower risk.

Rahima Jackson’s home in South Lismore burning during the floods in February 2022. Photo: Jennifer Steel.

The state-appointed agency handling buybacks – the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation – said the mapping, and the prioritisation, was determined using research and data that evaluated the risk to life during the floods.

The homes identified to be at the highest risk are at that risk “right now”, this year, according to the NRRC.

However, that same data referenced in their mapping found South Lismore to be one of the worst hit areas of the town and the Northern Rivers region.

South Lismore resident Rahima Jackson was stranded on her roof surrounded by flood water as her house burned beneath her while half-submerged.

Rahima Jackson, of South Lismore had to be rescued from her roof while her house burned - while it was half submerged in flood waters. Picture: Cath Piltz

“We were totally cut off and isolated from any rescue efforts at all,” she said.

She said she called the RFS to try and get rescued, but no help came.

“I watched three helicopters go over, rang the fire brigade and assumed that one of the helicopters would come back and get me,” she said.

“Then they rang me up four days later to ask if I was still alive.

“So it’s pretty crazy for the (NRRC) to say that it’s not a high risk to life in South Lismore.”

Ms Jackson said emergency services were unable to reach them because it was too dangerous to cross the main river.

“I was very surprised at the end of it all that only three people died,” she said.

Houses surrounded by floodwater on March 31, 2022 in Lismore. Photo: Dan Peled.

A NSW Government spokesperson said The Resilient Homes Program “has not waited for the full flood mapping and analysis to progress”.

“Buyback offers have been made for homes destroyed or made structurally unsound in the 2022 floods, including 60 homes in South Lismore,” the spokesperson said.

“Homes in all seven LGAs are being prioritised based on the greatest risk to life in most flood scenarios, with the most homes in Lismore prioritised, followed by Tweed.

“The NRRC is currently contacting all residents who have registered for buybacks to discuss their prioritisation and offer support.

“We will continue to closely work with the South Lismore community to help them in their recovery, but as a first step we need to work through the identified buybacks and confirm the uptake.”

South Lismore resident Eli Roth, 30, and his partner Jessyanne Shields, 29, have received a buyback after the floods.

South Lismore residents Eli Roth and Jess Shields. Picture: Supplied

“If NRRC is going for “risk of life” I have no idea how they’re coming up with all that,” he said.

“My mum lives down the end of Casino Street – she got pretty messed up, she’s registered (for a buyback), heard nothing.”

It has been 16 months since the 2022 floods ripped through the Northern Rivers. So far only 296 buyback offers were approved and 131 of those accepted as of June 8.

The maps released last week also revealed the 2000 homes originally thought to be eligible for buybacks had been cut to just 1100 – just 17 per cent of 6500 homeowners across the Northern Rivers who have applied for buybacks.

Mr Roth said working with the NRRC was “just brutal”.

The aftermath and devastation of the 2022 floods. Photo: Jonathan Ng.

He said the “collective trauma of the town” and knowing it’s “100 per cent” going to flood again is more than reason enough to leave the area.

“We’re very fortunate, but there’s a little guilt there for my hometown when we’ve been advocating so hard to save Lismore,” he said.

“I am so f**king done.”

The NRRC has pointed to worker shortages and other difficulties, but has declined to respond to criticism from the community.

Josef and Alicia Arundel-Clarke and their children Taya 17 and Eli 13 had to be rescued by boat from the rooftop of their Barnes Ave South Lismore home when flood waters rose around them. Supplied photo of the Arundel-Clarkes house under water.

Following the revelation, Janelle Saffin Lismore MP has called on her own party leader and NSW Premier Chris Minns to front the second tranche of funding for buybacks.

MPs and mayors across the Northern Rivers signed a joint statement calling on the new state government to fulfil their election promise to increase funding available for buybacks.

Ms Saffin said the NRRC’s “main failing is one of communication”.

“I’m fielding a constant stream of questions from locals desperate about their individual housing situations and wondering what they should be doing while waiting for voluntary buybacks or house raising or retrofitting,” she said.