Chris Minns Must Get His Facts Straight Before Calling for Demolition of Lismore Homes

NSW Premier Chris Minns’ comments on 2GB radio today were an attempt to shift blame away from failed recovery efforts following the 2022 floods. Instead of addressing the real issues, he targeted the peaceful occupants of Pine Street buyback homes, misrepresenting their situation and ignoring the complex realities of Lismore’s housing crisis.

Key Facts About Pine Street Residents

✅ Evacuation Was Handled Responsibly – Pine St residents evacuated early before the official SES evacuation order, proving that communities can live safely and responsibly in buyback houses.

✅ No Extra Burden on SES – The SES would have visited Pine Street regardless since an owner-occupier still lives there. Occupants left in an orderly manner, requiring no additional resources.

✅ Residents Are Not Exploiting Social Housing – No one on Pine Street is trying to jump the queue. Instead, they found their own housing, reducing the demand for social housing.

✅ There is No Power Connection – Occupants offered to pay for water but have received no response from the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA).

✅ Former Owners Were Promised Relocation, Not Demolition – Residents sold their homes believing they would be relocated for future use. Demolishing them would be a traumatic and unnecessary loss.

✅ Residents Are Willing to Cooperate – Pine St residents have openly communicated with the RA, stating they will vacate when relocation happens. They are caretaking the homes in the meantime.

✅ Lismore Residents Need Recovery, Not Distraction – This community is exhausted. People just want to rebuild their lives and businesses, yet Minns focuses on eviction threats instead of real leadership.

✅ SES Volunteers Live on Pine Street – This further proves that responsible, community-minded people occupy these homes.

Community Voices: What Lismore Residents Are Saying

Tina, 52-year-old single mother and Pine St resident

“We invite Chris Minns to meet with us and discuss the complex intersections of the housing and climate crises. If he came, he’d see that we evacuated neatly and safely. We are doing no harm—we are providing a positive service to the community. Dialogue, not demolition, is what we need.”

Miriam Torzillo, resident of Wotherspoon St, North Lismore

“If the Premier truly cared about safety, he would push the Reconstruction Authority to help homeowners relocate instead of forcing them to wait for the failed Resilient Lands program. Many who barely survived the 2022 floods received no buyback, house raise, or retrofit. Where is the fairness in that?”

Antoinette O’Brien, Reclaim Our Recovery

“Previous owners were assured their houses would become housing for people in need. Demolishing them is devastating and senseless. Instead of evicting people in a housing crisis, Minns should focus on relocating all buyback homes out of the floodplain and increasing public housing.”

“Pine St was carefully and responsibly evacuated. Demolishing these valuable community assets won’t solve the housing crisis. The fact that people are living there highlights how dire the situation is.”

Andrew George, Reclaim Our Recovery

“Minns talks about ‘fairness.’ But where is the fairness in South Lismore residents receiving no buybacks, house raises, or retrofits?”

“What about the $57 million spent on Reconstruction Authority salaries—including executive director salaries averaging $344,000? Or the $2,500 per year spent per boarded-up buyback house on security and maintenance (source: Questions on Notice, March 2024)? If homes are occupied, that money is saved. Yet, Minns is scapegoating people seeking shelter.”

“The government should issue occupation licenses until the houses are ready to be moved.”

Stop the Evictions – Focus on Real Recovery

Chris Minns should redirect his focus toward real recovery solutions, rather than blaming displaced residents. Threatening demolitions won’t fix Lismore’s housing crisis. Supporting relocation, increasing public housing, and ensuring transparency in recovery spending will.

The Lismore community deserves better.

Withdrawing from the floodplain has failed – it’s time for real flood mitigation

Three years ago, our community faced Australia’s biggest natural disaster since Cyclone Tracy. The devastating floods tore through Lismore and the Mid Richmond, destroying thousands of homes and businesses – leaving an entire community with serious questions about its future.

In the aftermath, there were only two approaches that could have been taken: remove everyone from the floodplain, or keep them there and implement serious flood mitigation measures to lower the height of the next flood.

The NSW State Government chose the strategy of removing those in danger from the floodplain. This has failed.

Over 2,000 homes were identified to be unsafe. We are now in a position that less than half of the homes identified will be bought back. Some families who accepted a buyback, have purchased new properties back on the floodplain, highlighting the failure of this plan.

Individuals and families had nowhere to live and had to make decisions about their immediate future. Some people started putting money back into their homes and commenced renovations immediately. Others decided to sell their properties on the private market. The new property owners did not qualify for the buyback.

After the completion of the buyback program, maybe 900 of the 2000 homes identified by the NRRC will have been bought back. This means over 1000 homes will remain on the flood plain. Those individuals and families will be no safer and are still at risk. The CBD, industrial estates, businesses, villages, farmers and the road network are no safer.

The strategy of withdrawing from the floodplain has failed. Flood mitigation is the only strategy that will give the region a sustainable future and safety.

Over $800m has been spent on the original strategy of withdrawing from the floodplain. None of this money has lowered the level of the next flooding event. This means no home, business or industrial estate occupant, is in any safer.

Our path ahead must include a public commitment to flood mitigation. CSIRO will release a report this year, looking at practical scenarios that include engineering solutions to mitigate future flooding. This work is crucial.

If the community knows a metre or more will be taken off future events, they will invest and live in confidence in the Northern Rivers.

The McKell Institute’s Cost of Extreme Weather Report found that between 2005 and 2022, the Federal Government spent $23.99 billion on disaster recovery and relief, while only $1.51 billion was allocated for disaster prevention. This imbalance must change. Flood mitigation is the best prevention option for the Northern Rivers to grow and prosper. It will also save future governments—and therefore taxpayers—billions of dollars by reducing the impact of future disasters. The 2022 disaster alone is measured as a $15 billion event.

The Government at all levels must act. Decision-makers now will determine whether the next major flooding event in this region kills people, destroys lives financially, or if the region has been made safer. Mistakes have been made, and significant public funds have been spent with marginal return. This can be rectified with a real commitment to flood mitigation and a clear vision for the region’s future.

Watch the Interview: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ktfXZLc-mst5ROIzjsXMrrFN91xYcHMv/view

Man Dies in Hospital a Month After South Lismore Crash

South Lismore, NSW – A 19-year-old motorcyclist has died in hospital, nearly a month after a serious crash in the state’s north.

Emergency services were called to Casino Street, South Lismore, around 10:40 am on Saturday, 25 January 2025, following reports of a collision between a motorcycle and a sedan. The impact ejected the rider from his motorcycle.

Paramedics from NSW Ambulance treated the rider at the scene before he was airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital in critical condition.

The driver of the sedan, an 80-year-old woman, and her 82-year-old passenger sustained minor injuries and were transported to Lismore Base Hospital for treatment.

A crime scene was established, and officers from Richmond Police District, assisted by crash investigators, launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Last Monday (25 February 2025), police were notified that the motorcyclist had succumbed to his injuries at Gold Coast University Hospital.

A report is being prepared for the Coroner.

$34.2 Million Boost for Health Worker Accommodation in Northern NSW

Robert Heyward

Healthcare workers in Grafton, Lismore, and Tweed will soon benefit from new and upgraded accommodation, as the Minns Labor Government invests $34.2 million to attract, recruit, and retain essential health staff in Northern NSW.

This funding is part of the $200.1 million Key Health Worker Accommodation program, which supports more than 20 projects across rural, regional, and remote NSW.

Expanding Housing for Health Workers

The four-year program will secure approximately 120 dwellings across regional NSW, including:

• Newly built accommodation
• Refurbishment of existing living quarters
• Purchase of suitable properties, such as residential units

This initiative will help recruit and retain over 500 healthcare workers and their families, ensuring they have access to modern, sustainable housing while strengthening regional health services.

The investment builds on the success of the NSW Government’s previous $73.2 million commitment to key health worker accommodation across five regional Local Health Districts (Far West, Murrumbidgee, Southern NSW, Hunter New England, and Western NSW).

Government Support for Regional Health Workers

Minister for Regional Health, Ryan Park:

“The Minns Labor Government is committed to providing modern, sustainable accommodation for the key health workers who are the backbone of our regional, rural, and remote communities.”

“Strengthening our regional health workforce is a key priority, and this $34.2 million investment will help attract vital healthcare workers to Grafton, Lismore, and the Tweed.”

Member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin:

“This program is ensuring our frontline health workers have access to high-quality, sustainable housing when they need it most.”

Labor Spokesperson for Clarence and Tweed, Emily Suvaal, MLC:

“Housing remains a major issue in our region, and this investment will not only support our hardworking health staff but also contribute to the broader community by increasing local housing stock.”

Building a Stronger Regional Health Workforce

By improving access to housing, the Key Health Worker Accommodation program ensures that Northern NSW Local Health District can continue delivering high-quality healthcare to communities across the region.

This initiative is part of the Minns Labor Government’s broader commitment to strengthening the regional, rural, and remote health workforce—creating better conditions for frontline staff while boosting health services for local communities.

For more local news, click here.

Lismore CBD Occupancy Rate Holds Steady

Lismore’s CBD occupancy rate has remained stable despite economic challenges, including high interest rates and the cost-of-living crisis. The latest Lismore City Council audit of ‘The Block’ reports a 77% occupancy rate in December 2024, unchanged from June. Notably, Molesworth and Keen streets saw an increase in occupancy, reflecting resilience in the local business sector.

Mayor Steve Krieg with Council’s Manager Destination and Economy, Tina Irish.

Mayor Steve Krieg expressed his appreciation for the commitment of local businesses, acknowledging their role in sustaining jobs and supporting the city’s recovery.

“While we still need to attract more businesses into the CBD, it’s encouraging to see occupancy rates holding steady. This shows our local business owners are dedicated to Lismore’s future,” Mayor Krieg said.

“Despite economic pressures, local spending across the Lismore LGA in December 2024 reached $111 million, a 4.2% increase from December 2023.”

Street-by-Street Occupancy Rates – December 2024 vs. June 2024

Keen Street: 85% (up from 81.1%)
Molesworth Street: 86% (up from 74%)
Conway Street: 67% (down from 72.1%)
Carrington Street: 78% (up from 73.1%)
Magellan Street: 75% (down from 76.3%)
Woodlark Street: 60% (down from 60.7%)

This is the fifth CBD occupancy audit since the 2022 natural disaster, with previous audits conducted in June and January 2023, August 2022, and February 2022 (prior to the disaster). Lismore City Council has tracked occupancy trends across the same CBD area annually since 2017.