Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation CEO David Witherdin provides update on northern NSW flood recovery efforts
The corporation responsible for northern NSW flood recovery efforts following last year’s horrendous floods has provided a key update on home buybacks and other support.
Regional News
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The corporation responsible for northern NSW flood recovery efforts has offered almost 200 home buybacks and let 650 owners know they are likely eligible.
Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC) chief executive David Witherdin has confirmed more than 14,000 homes across the Northern Rivers were inundated by the February-March, 2022 floods.
He said it was expected about 6200 homeowners would eventually find “one of three streams of the Resilient Homes program” available to them.
Mr Witherdin said it was expected 250 voluntary purchase offers will have been made by the end of the month.
The NRRC chief provided an update on recovery efforts as a six billion dollar infrastructure pipeline was laid out at an industry conference at Twin Towns, Tweed Heads on Thursday.
It involved about 250 trade industry and government representatives in attendance in a bid to accelerate the recovery, which has copped criticism in the community for being too slow.
Mr Witherdin said in particular the conference brought together key players of the construction industry to showcase work in the pipeline.
“While we’re a year on from the floods the pipeline work ahead of us is in the billions of dollars”, Mr Witherdin said.
“We’re now approaching eight billion dollars worth of work … from roads, bridges, landslips, schools, water and sewerage infrastructure and housing”.
Mr Witherdin acknowledged a worker shortage across northern NSW and southeast Queensland, but was optimistic about the recovery efforts.
“This is our opportunity to engage with industry and reveal exactly what our program works and how they can be part of that to get the best outcomes for the community”, he said.
Mr Witherdin added the three streams in The Resilient Homes fund included voluntary purchases, house raisings and retrofitting of flood-resilient materials.
“One of the real challenges has been the real lack of housing and land supply and for our teams to search for flood free land with minimal environmental impact and good connectivity to community,” the chief executive said.
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