Temporary Fencing

No matter where you go in East, South, or North Lismore, you’ll see the same thing: temporary fencing wrapped around house after house. There are hundreds of them—whole streets marked out and waiting. These are the properties included in the government’s buyback scheme, part of the long recovery from the catastrophic 2022 floods.

It’s hard to believe it has been almost four years since that disaster. The 2022 event was the largest flood in Lismore’s recorded history, with water levels reaching 14.4 metres, overtopping roofs and swallowing entire neighbourhoods. More than 44,000 residents across the Lismore local government area were affected. In my own family’s case, water reached the upper storey of their homes, forcing evacuations like so many others.

The buyback scheme—part of the Resilient Homes Program—was designed to remove homes from the most flood‑prone areas. So far, 819 houses across the Northern Rivers have been purchased under the program. Many owners were able to sell at pre‑flood values, giving them a chance to start again somewhere safer. Others have bought these houses cheaply with the intention of relocating them to higher ground. And in some cases, the damage was so severe that demolition was the only option.

A few years on, the landscape is changing fast. In parts of South Lismore. Some areas will likely return to paddocks; others may be rezoned for industry or open space. There’s no shortage of ideas—everything from sports fields to community gardens to environmental restoration. But you do have to wonder how many sports fields a town really needs.

Last year I spoke with our local member, Janelle Saffin—famous for swimming through floodwaters in 2022. She had recently visited New Orleans to see how they were faring 20 years after Hurricane Katrina, and she said recovery was still ongoing. That puts things into perspective. Lismore’s road back to “normal” will be long.

Still, being home around Christmas has been encouraging. The town has a bit of buzz again—not what it was before the floods, but noticeably better than in the immediate aftermath. Many shops have reopened, though some remain empty. Others are thriving; one café had a massive queue yesterday morning. There are signs of life everywhere.

But it will be a different Lismore.