Resilient Lismore Reports Highlight Continued Recovery Needs in Northern Rivers Community

By Jeff Gibbs

Resilient Lismore has published two vital reports underscoring the ongoing need for community disaster recovery support in the Northern Rivers. The findings reveal both the unmet needs of flood-affected residents and the positive impact of Resilient Lismore’s Repair to Return property repair initiative.

In a statement, Resilient Lismore Executive Director Elly Bird explained, “These reports provide valuable insight into how people in the Northern Rivers are faring more than two and a half years after the disaster.”

The Lismore Flood Zone Survey and Outreach Report is the result of a comprehensive outreach effort led by Resilient Lismore in July 2024. Supported by Social Futures, Uniting Recovery Support Services, Lismore City Council, the Red Cross, and Lismore Business Chaplains, the survey involved door-to-door visits across Lismore’s flood zones. Surveyors assessed residents’ recovery progress, repair needs, and preparedness for future events.

Key findings from the survey reveal that more than 2,000 residents in over 1,000 households have not fully recovered from the 2022 flood and remain vulnerable to future disasters.

“This report highlights the gaps in recovery support, especially for households that fall outside the reach of existing programs,” said Ms. Bird. “Many residents are facing additional challenges, such as financial strain or disabilities, which complicate their recovery efforts.”

Social Impact Report: Demonstrated Benefits of Community-Led Disaster Recovery

In partnership with Huber Social, an independent social impact evaluation specialist, Resilient Lismore has also released its Social Impact Report. This report evaluates the outcomes of the Repair to Return project, as well as its impact on volunteers and workshop participants. Since early 2023, Huber Social has conducted rigorous assessments of the program’s effects on participants’ wellbeing.

Ms. Bird noted, “This report confirms what we already knew—that our programs do more than repair homes; they improve the wellbeing of those we support. There are measurable improvements in participants’ feelings of hope, community connection, and even sleep quality.”

While the findings are encouraging, Ms. Bird cautioned that overall wellbeing among respondents is still lower than the national average, highlighting the need for continued support for Northern Rivers communities.

The Repair to Return project, funded by the NSW Reconstruction Authority with contributions from the Lismore Diocese and Goonellabah Rotary, underscores the value of a community-led, place-based approach to disaster recovery.

To read the full reports, visit:

• Lismore Flood Zone Survey and Outreach Report
• Social Impact Report

These reports serve as a testament to the resilience of the Northern Rivers community and the ongoing work needed to ensure sustainable recovery.

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Lismore Young women and Teen Showgirls announced

By Samantha Elley

For the first time since the 2022 floods the North Coast National Young Woman and Teen Showgirl titles were able to be held at home at Norma’s Kitchen in the Lismore Showgrounds.

And what an event it was, with seven young women vying for the two titles.

Maddy Dillon and Rose Mills both walked away with the title of Young Woman and Teen Showgirl respectively.

North Coast National President John Gibson said it was great to be home.

“It gives us a lot of confidence to promote our show,” he said.

“And we’ve had an increase in sponsors.”

Winners and runners up of the Young Women and Teen Showgirl competitions

Young Woman

For the Young Woman title, there were four ladies, from office worker, to disability support worker, to farmers, who shared their dreams and hopes for their community and the reasons why they entered the competition.

The girls were Charlie Murray, Lucinda Downs, Maddy Dillon and Eliza O’Toole.

“I had always seen the competition and wanted to give it a crack,” said Young Woman winner, Maddy Dillon.

As a young dairy farmer from Coraki she is up at 4am to milk and talk to the cows.

“In five years time I would like to have an investment property and a couple of kids,” she said.

She received $1,000 from the Far North Coast Law Society, a prize from the Jewellery Design Centre and a Mortgage Choice sponsored deportment course.

Runner up was Charlie Murray who works at the Casino Food Co-op and is very involved being with cattle.

“My dream is to go to Canada to see how beef is done there,” she said.

“I’d also like to go to the Calgary Stampede.”

Young Women winners

Teen Showgirl

The three competitors for the Teen Showgirl were Isabella Johnson, Shenae Flanagan and Rose Mills.

Winner, Rose Mills said she wants to study human rights law.

“I really like the concept that everybody is equal and we are all God’s creation,” she said.

When asked what change she would like to see, Rose wanted more opportunities for the younger generation.

“We are going to be the future,” she said.

“We need more jobs, places to go and things to do.”

She won $250 from Warren Innes Contracting.

Runner up Teen Showgirl was Shenae Flanagan who is studying beauty therapy and has a dream to work in the movies as a make-up artist.

The change she would like to see is less empty houses in the area and less homelessness.

“You can see many of our houses are empty and people living in caravans and pods,” she said.

“I would love to have the government get them back in their homes.”

Teen Showgirl winners

The judges Jeri Hall, Lyndall Gordon and Joe Martin.

Both Maddy and Rose will now go on to the zone level of the showgirl competition.

Dwelling Entitlement Exemption: Facilitating House Relocations in Lismore

Lismore City Council has received an exemption from the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) to assist with the relocation of homes purchased through the NSW Reconstruction Authority’s Resilient Homes program. This exemption allows the Council to consider relocating dwellings to rural allotments where no current dwelling entitlement exists, potentially opening up more sites for housing in the region.

Under the Lismore Local Environmental Plan (LEP), rural allotments typically need to meet a minimum lot size (40 hectares or 20 hectares in some areas) for a dwelling entitlement. While many smaller rural lots still have entitlements based on historical planning controls, others do not, often because they were once part of larger land holdings. A dwelling entitlement does not guarantee that a dwelling can be built or relocated but permits the Council to assess a Development Application (DA) to determine if the site is suitable.

Lismore City Council Mayor Steve Krieg emphasized the community’s interest in repurposing structurally sound homes from the buy-back program to provide housing for local families.
“Our community wants to use these abandoned but structurally sound homes across the Northern Rivers to house local families,” Mayor Krieg said. “We worked with the NSW Government to find a solution where more historic homes could be saved and relocated outside the flood plain.”

Graham Snow, Council’s Head of Planning and Environment, added,
“It doesn’t make sense to abandon homes that could be used to house people. This exemption offers a chance to relocate these houses to suitable rural sites, though finding the right locations remains a challenge.”

Key Points of the Exemption:

• The exemption allows Lismore Council to consider rural sites without existing dwelling entitlements for potential house relocations.
• Sites must meet certain criteria, such as considering buffers to agriculture, watercourses, vehicle access, biodiversity, and risks from bushfire and flooding. Sites within the flood planning area are not suitable.
• The exemption applies for two years, until September 30, 2026.
• No additional rural subdivisions below minimum lot sizes are allowed—the exemption only applies to existing lots.

The exemption is expected to benefit recipients of the buy-back program and increase opportunities to relocate historic timber homes, as development on some designated Resilient Lands sites may take years to complete.

More details and the full Fact Sheet about the exemption and re-siting dwellings are available on the Council’s Future Housing page under the Relocating Dwellings tab at www.lismore.nsw.gov.au.