Economic recovery
The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) is working with councils and the private sector to deliver supporting infrastructure for the Northern Rivers region to encourage and increase economic investment into the future.
The economic recovery programs will ensure reconstruction takes place hand in hand with local business development and provides employment and training opportunities for the Northern Rivers community.
The economic recovery programs include:
- Northern Rivers Towns and Villages Resilient Business Activation Program
- Business capacity building and support for reconstruction and disaster preparedness
- Northern Rivers Community Resilience Grants program
- Northern Rivers Disaster Adaptation Plan Economic Domain
Aboriginal business and community engagement
RA has a dedicated focus on Aboriginal engagement, ensuring Aboriginal business and community organisations are actively engaged for their wisdom and cultural knowledge through recovery.
RA is developing a Northern Rivers Connecting with Country Framework to underpin our work. Its principles will be embedded across all engagement, programs and projects.
Understanding and embedding Aboriginal cultural ways of knowing, being and doing into how we do our work will enable reconstruction and rebuilding efforts to incorporate both the historic and contemporary value of Aboriginal cultural heritage. It will also translate into opportunities for local Aboriginal businesses and training for local communities.
RA has a strong focus on supporting Aboriginal outcomes, including:
- listening and responding to community cultural values in the way we engage with local Aboriginal communities
- the protection of cultural heritage while developing more resilient infrastructure
- Indigenous skills development and supporting Aboriginal businesses across the supply chain.
These programs will work closely with our reconstruction program, the Resilient Homes Program and the Resilient Lands Program.
Business Beyond Disasters
Images (left to right) thanks to Mountain Blue, NORPA, Bennett, Amarina AARI and Social Futures.
Business Beyond Disasters training program – register your business today
All Northern Rivers businesses and non-profits are encouraged to join this free online program.
Commencing 5 May 2025 and running over 10 weeks, participants will learn how to plan effectively, build important skills to keep businesses running during tough times, and prepare for the future – strategies that will help businesses recover quickly and adapt after a disaster.
NSW businesses located outside of the Northern Rivers are also welcome to register for one of the five online program streams.
Sign up now for Business Beyond Disasters
About the online training
During registration participants have a choice to join one of 5 specific business programs that best align to their specific area of business including:
- retail, professional services and education
- agribusiness and aqua business
- tourism
- health and social services
- construction, trade and manufacturing.
Over 10 weeks participants can access 5-minute eLearning modules that will cover topics such as operating through disasters, financial viability, understanding insurance, evacuation triggers, and competitor collaborations.
The weekly online learning modules are designed to enable you to think and do differently, with weekly online check-ins to connect and share insights with other participants, plus links to key support resources and services.
The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) has engaged Resilient Ready, specialists in business and community risk reduction and resilience, to deliver the Business Beyond Disasters program.
RA have been connecting with local businesses and organisations at information sessions across the Northern Rivers region prior to Tropical Cyclone Alfred, and new dates and workshops will be announced soon.
Find out more and sign up now for Business Beyond Disasters Northern Rivers.
Program Funded by:
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This Disaster Ready Fund project is funded by the Australian Government and NSW Government.
Northern Rivers Towns and Villages Resilient Business Activation Program
Expressions of interest for this program have now closed.
This $9.5 million grant program will support the economic recovery of villages and town centres in the Northern Rivers through direct assistance to small and medium sized businesses and local government-led Central Business Districts (CBD) activation and revitalisation projects.
The program is part of our commitment to support long-term recovery, betterment and disaster resilience.
It will be delivered across the seven most impacted Local Government Areas in the Northern Rivers region: Tweed, Ballina, Byron, Lismore, Kyogle, Richmond Valley and Clarence Valley.
Workforce diversity
RA is working with local councils and state government agencies to improve diversity targets and reporting in contracts for reconstruction projects in the Northern Rivers.
A diverse workforce brings many benefits to businesses, including:
- access to a wide range of talent
- innovation through employee life experiences contributing to fresh ideas
- better performance as valued staff create an environment where employees work harder
- lower staff turnover and increased profits.
- different perspectives that contribute to understanding the needs of a wide customer base.
A workforce diversity tool has been created to help businesses develop their own diversity targets across groups including Aboriginal people, women, young people, apprentices and learning workers. More information is available in the Workforce Diversity in Construction fact sheet.
This tool provides key contacts, for both contractors and the community, to engage with on training pathways, apprenticeship opportunities and connections to employment.
For more information please contact futurebuildnr@reconstruction.nsw.gov.au