Community stories
The NSW Reconstruction Authority is helping people recover and thrive after disaster.
NSW Reconstruction Authority smooths Di’s journey from flood disaster to a new home
Eugowra pensioner Di Garner turns 80 in May 2025. She plans to celebrate the landmark by moving into her new home after losing everything in the November 2022 flood which devastated the town.
The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) has been with Di every step of the way on her journey from disaster to restoration.
Winched out of the raging floodwaters by helicopter, the retired schoolteacher gratefully accepted assistance from the RA’s At-Home Caravan Program which provided temporary accommodation so she could stay in the area.
Later, she was able to move out of the cramped conditions of the caravan into a roomier studio pod when RA’s Pods on Private Property program rolled out, recognising recovery efforts would take some time. Positioned on her property, the pod has provided a comfortable space while she planned and built a new home. It also meant she could quickly return to the activities she loves – gardening, art and caring for her dogs and rescue cats.
“I really appreciated the original caravan, but having the pod has made it much easier to get through the 2.5 years it’s taken to have a new home built,” Di says.
The RA again provided support as she prepared for that construction, helping her access a NSW Public Works program which demolished the remnants of her original home which was more than 100 years old.
Di has replaced it with a small home built above the 2022 flood level - around 1.8 metres above ground level at her property.
Di has now accessed another RA program, with a home assessment team recently visiting her property as part of the Resilient Homes Program. Under that program she may be eligible for assistance with some of the costs incurred in replacing her home.
The Resilient Homes Program provides eligible homeowners with funds to help with:
- home buyback
- home raising
- home rebuild
- home relocation
- home retrofit
- reimbursement for completed works which meet resilience criteria.
For works already completed prior to the program, eligible homeowners may be able to seek reimbursement for expenditure that meets the criteria for resilient measures.
For more information about the resilient homes program, visit the Resilient Homes Program.