In May 2023, IndyNR.com published a story about Luke O’Driscoll raising his timber home that was inundated in the 2022 floods.

At the time of the flood, his wife Cass Petty was 35 weeks pregnant. With their three year old, they had to evacuate to a relative’s house.

The story was about Luke’s frustration with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation. That organisation was shut down by the State Government and replaced with the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

Luke’s frustration has only amplified since then, so much so that he sent his lengthy email correspondence with the Reconstruction Authority to MPs and media organisations.

When Mr O’Driscoll bought his house on Baraang Drive in Broadwater it was 2 metres off the ground. Since the floods, he has had it raised a further 1.5 metres.

He has spent every dollar he had to do this.

Yet, Luke is still chasing payment for the house-raising and flood resilient build completed on his home.

He emailed the Reconstruction Authority three weeks ago.

“Since my email, I was completely appalled when the RA representative admitted to me they had done a ‘drive-by’ of my house,” Mr O’Driscoll said.

“Instead of openly engaging with me and having a complete and open inspection of my property, the RA continues to conduct itself in a highly unprofessional and questionable manner.”

IndyNR.com has asked the Reconstruction Authority about the issues surrounding Mr O’Driscoll’s house and despite assurances a statement was coming, nothing has been received.

Mr O’Driscoll said that from the Authority’s ‘drive-by’, the representative decided Mr O’Driscoll had “significantly deviated from the DA and as such will not make any payment to me until this is rectified.”

The work the Authority is referring to is enclosing the lower floor of my property, he said.

“This work was advised by the builder as the significant height of my property was allowing excessive weather in and I was assured it would not be a problem to have signed off.

“As the house was enclosed before the lift, we were simply replacing the existing structure. Without this construction, there was nowhere to work, store materials or keep things safe from the increased crime in our region.”

Mr O’Driscoll said the front stairs of the house were also enclosed on the builder’s advice to provide all-weather access to the property.

“The RA advised me I would need the variations approved before any payment. I am working with the engineering firm that designed the house raise to draft and submit the required paperwork for the required approvals,” Mr O’Driscoll said.

“I am not a builder or a house flipper and have no experience in managing this type of thing so there were bound to be mistakes made along the way.”

These building variations from the DA are completely unrelated to the costs involved in raising my house and the grant the RA administers, Mr O’Driscoll said.

“So, why can I not receive payment for the completed house raise, which has been signed off by the council critical stage inspection?”

Then out of the blue with no notice, the Reconstruction Authority made a payment of $20,000 directly to Mr O’Driscoll’s bank account.

While he is grateful for the money, he has no idea what the money is for.

“Not only do I have zero details about the scope this grant can cover, the letter of offer provides no details on what is being covered. So, if I were to challenge it, I have no information as to what I am challenging,” he said.

Mr O’Driscoll has spent more than $350,000 on his house.

“The RA has informed me it has only identified approximately $90,000 in reimbursable costs.”

Mr O’Driscoll is so discouraged, he’s at the point where he said he needs legal representation to liaise with the Reconstruction Authority.

“Thank you for continuing to make this process more onerous and unreasonable then it needs to be,” he wrote in an email to the Authority.

Mr O’Driscoll said he is completely stressed and drained by the entire process with the Authority.

“I do not feel the RA has actively aided or helped me in any aspect through the entire event. Rather, they have prolonged and complicated every detail,” he said.

“I’m working from a laptop donated to me through a uni program. My office is the floor, a bench or the couch.

“I have done everything I can to keep all costs down on my build so as not to waste the limited funding within the program.”

He has worked with builders who would allow him to buy almost all materials so that they do not add 10% to every item and hours of labour sourcing and supplying items.

He has used salvaged materials where able, done the painting where he could, built a Bunnings kitchen, disposing of building waste – these are only some of the ways Mr O’Driscoll has attempted to keep costs down.

“After all these efforts and over two years, the Reconstruction Authority is not only delaying any funding being passed to me, they are actively trying to avoid every single dollar that they can,” he said.

We will publish the Reconstruction Authority response to Mr O’Driscoll’s claims if we receive a statement.

This article appeared on indyNR.com on 15 February 2025.