Northern Rivers Community Foundation releases damning report on crippling not-for-profit funding gaps after 2022 floods

A damning report has found Northern Rivers not-for-profit and community organisations are in deep trouble after the record 2022 floods – and desperately need a helping hand.

A staff member at the Winsome Soup Kitchen dishes up as part of the flood recovery. Picture: Lisa Sorgini

A damning report has found funding is running critically low for Northern Rivers not-for-profit and community organisations battling to get back on track a year after the record 2022 floods.

It comes as many residents remain in damaged homes, living with families or sleeping rough, among other hardships more than year since the natural disasters – and after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese conceded more needs to be done to help while visiting Tweed this week.

Lismore during the floods. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Late last month, the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation, tasked by the state to deal with recovery, revealed it had offered almost 200 home buybacks and let 650 owners know they were likely eligible for assistance.

But more than 14,000 homes across the Northern Rivers were inundated by the February-March, 2022 floods, which resulted in five local deaths.

The Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF) has released its second flood research report as part of a four-year study into recovery.

The report Research, Respond, Recover: A year on from disaster shows a slow crawl back to normality and a looming “funding cliff”.

Leaders of hundreds of organisations were asked to rate their recovery progress, leading to a community recovery rating of 4.8 out of 10, and organisational rating of 6.4 out of 10.

The reports shows external funding was critical in the emergency response phase and will continue to prove important moving forward.

Sam Henderson, CEO of Northern Rivers Community Foundation.

NRCF CEO Sam Henderson said the results were alarming.

“Our study reveals reduced numbers of volunteers, increased demand for services, increased client complexity, one in four organisations still impacted by damaged premises, as well as exhaustion and trauma being felt by staff, clients and community are all contributing to this low recovery rate,” he said.

“This is further exacerbated by the looming funding cliff expected when much of the disaster funding finishes mid-2023.”

Only 18 per cent of organisations did not anticipate a gap when various recovery funding ends. Almost 60 per cent anticipated a funding gap and 23 per cent were unsure.

The aftermath of the disaster has left northern NSW residents exhausted, struggling with trauma, and in need of support, the report states.

Not-for-profit organisations have struggled to deliver their services and meet demand.

Aiden Ricketts of North Lismore was swamped in the 2022 February/March flood disaster. He has cleaned up his home and intends to stay – his escape plan includes a fixed ladder from his back veranda and his trusty tinny. Picture: Cath Piltz

During the floods, North Lismore man Aiden Ricketts was part of a much-celebrated “tinny brigade” rescuing trapped residents.

Mr Ricketts, who has a getaway ladder and small boat stashed at the back of his home, has been thinking of future floods, despite the ongoing recovery.

“We can expect an increased frequency of natural disasters as a result of the impacts of climate change becoming manifest,” he said.

Aerial Pics – Lismore NSW and surrounds floods. Flood waters at Murwillumbah and surrounding villages. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

“I think Lismore in many ways is a test case for how well governments can support community in that process … because it’s going to need to be rolled out to other communities increasingly throughout time.”

Mr Ricketts and fellow rescuers helped neighbours work their way out of ceiling cavities and retrieved people from the top of homes because emergency services were swamped.

“Community is the first responder in natural disasters, and principal responder,” he said.

“If you analyse it, you get a lot more bang for your buck giving money to community groups than installing bureaucracies to deal with disaster.

“Government’s not particularly good at that. What it really should address is supporting the community in the community’s own response.”

Lismore councillor Elly Bird, director of charity Resilient Lismore, said community organisations responding to disasters were nimble and adaptable, but they faced massive challenges after the floods.

Lismore Council – Elly Bird. Supplied

“Small organisations are often already seriously constrained in terms of budgets before a disaster hits and so then when they step up to respond, they're doing so with minimal resources,” she said.

“Now, there has been an injection of funding into the community over the last year, but much of that is about to dry up so that leaves community groups that are still responding in an adaptive and grassroots way without the necessary funding to continue to support the thousands of people that need our help.”

Kyogle Family Support Services program manager Jade Bennett said disaster funding allowed them to hire more staff to meet increased demand on services.

“Our worry is that come August these extra supports will cease, and it is evident that our community, like many others, will still be in crisis recovery,” she said.

Staff member at the Winsome Soup Kitchen flood recovery in Lismore. Picture: Lisa Sorgini

“We have had an influx of community members looking for support since the recent natural disaster.

“Funding opportunities are great however the time that is spent on applying for grant opportunities is lengthy and this can often take time away from staff’s availability for community support.”

The NRCF states its study, backed by The Paul Ramsay Foundation, will help drive an evidence-based recovery effort and raise awareness about what’s needed.

Lismore Mayor Steve Krieg was contacted for comment.