Meeting summary

At its meeting on 9 November 2023, the Community Leaders Forum discussed funding for the Resilient Homes Program.

Following the Government’s recent funding announcement, Community Leaders met on 2 November to discuss how the funding would be allocated and prioritised. At this week’s Forum, the Reconstruction Authority (RA) provided two options – option one consisted of home buybacks only, and option two consisted of a combination of raising/retrofits and buybacks.  The feedback from members was that the preference was to have a mix of buybacks and raising/retrofits, so more homeowners across the region could be assisted.  The group also agreed the importance of sharing the funding equitably across the northern rivers.  Further modelling will be undertaken and an update presented to the group.  

The group also received an update on temporary housing and discussed how to support people transition from temporary housing to more permanent housing.  The group stressed the importance of focussing on adding land stock to enable an increase in housing supply so there are homes for people to move to.

The RA provided an update on the infrastructure program underway over the next 3 to 4 years across the Northern Rivers.  These works consist of rebuilding damaged infrastructure, business as usual works and betterment works.

The operating hours for the Community pop-up centres for the Resilient Homes program are also undergoing some changes in the coming weeks.  Following a review of patronage, the Murwillumbah and Mullumbimby centres will move to opening fortnightly, Coraki and Woodburn will continue to be fortnightly, Ballina will move to opening ‘as required’ and there will be no change to Lismore.

The Community Leaders had previously asked the RA to review the option for homeowners to switch between the buyback and raising/retrofit streams in the Resilient Homes Program.  Currently, homeowners are not able to switch streams. RA asked the Peer Review Panel and the Council Reference Group (consisting of technical representatives from within Northern Rivers Councils) to undertake the review.

Both groups supported the current policy. Buybacks are offered to residents because of the risk to life and so there was no support to allow homeowners to choose different streams. Homeowners do have the avenue to appeal based on the stream they have been allocated to.