One year on from the February-March floods, the most pressing need is for housing.

Residents need to know what options are available to them – whether it be a buyback, raising the house, doing a retrofit or no option at all because they are not eligible.

A Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation spokesperson said the organisation will have made 250 buyback offers by the end of April.

These offers are to residents living in the highest flood risk areas.

The corporation would not clarify whether this means Lismore only.

NRRC recognises that receiving a voluntary buyback offer will be life-changing for residents.

“Homeowners who have received a voluntary buyback offer can take as much or as little time as they need to consider their offer and their options,” the spokesperson said.

So far the NRRC has received more than 6000 registrations under the Resilient Homes Program that started in December.

With just 250 offers projected to be made by the end of next month, the NRRC claims that all those 6000-plus who have registered will know about their eligibility for a voluntary buyback house raising or house retrofitting by the middle of this year.

Find out more at the NRRC website.

Read about the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation meeting in Woodburn last month.

This article appeared on indyNR.com on 26 February 2023.