Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation releases new flood mapping, areas prioritised for buybacks

New mapping revealing where property buybacks will be prioritised across the flood-smashed Northern Rivers has been released, with the number of eligible homes almost halved.

March 31, 2022: Floodwaters inundating the northern NSW city of Lismore. Photo: NSW SES/AFP.

New maps have been released revealing areas prioritised for buybacks and other support across the Northern Rivers after last year’s catastrophic floods.

The maps released almost 16 months after the floods cover Richmond River, Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Clarence River, Murwillumbah, Casino, Lismore, Ballina Grafton and Yamba.

Around 2,000 homes were expected to be eligible under the $700 million Resilient Homes Program, but the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation, responsible for the region’s flood recovery, has slashed that number to 1,100 households across the region.

It comes after frustrated residents raised concerns about the speed of recovery.

Priority buyback areas for Lismore. Photo: NRRC.

The new flood mapping shows priority areas across the Northern Rivers “which pose the greatest risk to life” and are “likely to be inundated by high and fast floodwaters”.

The maps indicate where flood modelling shows the highest risk areas – and therefore the highest priority for buybacks – with a darker maroon colour.

NRRC chief executive officer David Witherdin said: “This is now the region’s most comprehensive flood mapping and analysis available – showing the relative risk to life for each neighbourhood and the order in which further home buyback, raising and retrofit offers will be prioritised.”

Priority buyback areas for Tweed Heads. Photo: NRRC.

The NRRC “is in the process” of contacting homeowners registered for the Resilient Homes Program and “remains on track to inform all homeowners of their prioritisation by mid-year.”

About 6500 homeowners have applied for a buyback or other support. Only 296 buyback offers were approved and 131 of those accepted as of June 8.

Priority buyback areas for Grafton. Photo: NRRC.

Initial assessments have been carried out for 1213 registered homeowners, 364 valuations undertaken and four settlements completed, according to the NRRC.

East Lismore resident Henry Luong registered for a buyback almost as soon as they launched the program in October last year.

He received a text from the NRRC on Tuesday informing him the maps had been released.

Henry Luong, East Lismore flood survivor. Picture: Gianni Francis.

“It’s 15 months later and this is all we get?” he said.

“Not even a phone call, but a message out of nowhere?”

Mr Luong just moved back into his home which was inundated by flood water after more than a year of rebuilding.

He said moving back into his Old St property was “lonely, scary” and the community was “lost”.

Wading through the now receding flood waters, Laani Winkler 25, helps friend Kylie Gilmore clean her flood ravaged pub in the central business district, for the second time in weeks at Lismore. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen.

Mr Luong said he was heartbroken residents in his community were forced to live in “a shell of a house, with no walls no heaters no future and no hope”.

“At the end of the day we are human beings and we shouldn’t be treated like numbers,” he said.

“We are flooded, forgotten, f--ked.

Emergency services, locals and property owners in flood waters in the central business district, for the second time in weeks at Lismore last year. Lyndon Mechielsen.

“We pay the same amount of tax as those who live in the cities.”

Mr Luong said the recovery was too slow and he called it “rural discrimination”.

“They’re selling us sugar coated lies,” he said.

“If the floods had happened in Melbourne or Sydney, they would be recovered by now.”

Thursday 31st March 2022 Lismore. Photo: Darren Leigh Roberts.

The NRRC has pointed to worker shortages and other difficulties, but has declined to respond to criticism from Mr Luong and other individuals.

It follows the release of the Draft Resilient Lands Strategy on Friday, June 2.

Aftermath of the March 2022 floods in Lismore. Photo: Darren Leigh Roberts.

The strategy outlined 22 development sites across Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed with potential capacity for up to 10,300 dwellings.

Land won’t be made available for those in need until “early” 2024 as the NRRC negotiates with landowners.

More information on the mapping can be found online.