There were no absolute steals at last night's NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) buyback auctions at the Workers Sports Club in Goonellabah, but once again, all 10 properties sold, with sale prices ranging from $7000 to $25,500.

The RA has exceeded its target of selling 42 flood buyback houses before Christmas after 60 people attended the last auction, showing there is still an appetite for purchasing the flood-affected houses.

One hundred and thirty buyback properties have now been offered for sale in the Northern Rivers since December last year.

PRD Lismore auctioned off 10 homes for a total value of $143,300, attracting 30 registered bidders, including four phone bidders.

The highlights included: 

• 20 Rhodes Street, South Lismore: $25,500.      
• 30 Newbridge Street, South Lismore: $16,100.
• 95 Crown Street, South Lismore: $12,000.
• ​85 Elliott Street, South Lismore: $7000.
• 61 Newbridge Street, South Lismore: $8500.
• 51 Newbridge Street, South Lismore: $16,000.
• 49 Newbridge Street, South Lismore: $11,000.
• 34 Elliott Road, South Lismore: $6200.
• 25 Crown Street, South Lismore: $22,500.
• 12 Crown Street, South Lismore: $15,500.

Eleven buyback auctions have been held, with the first Casino sale last weekend, when two houses sold for $500 and $ 8,605, respectively. 

It’s been a year of firsts with the auction program in 2025. There has been consistently high public interest and a wide range of sale prices, including one house for $1, and the most expensive house going for $200,000.

All homes earmarked for relocation have been purchased by the NSW Reconstruction Authority through the buyback stream of the $880 million Resilient Homes Program, jointly funded by the NSW and Australian governments.  

All house owners will now have until the end of 2026 to relocate their property to flood-free land. Every property is unique, with homeowners expecting relocation costs upwards of $100,000 depending on the property.

The auction program will pause over Christmas and resume in early 2026.

All NSW proceeds from the home sales (after costs) are reinvested into the Resilient Homes Program to support more flood-affected residents. 

Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said, “I asked the NSW Reconstruction Authority to supercharge these flood buyback auctions as they have proved extremely popular. 

“Seeing young families and first-home buyers walk away with keys to a safer future is incredibly uplifting.  

“These homes are part of our shared history, and the fact they can now be repurposed and relocated to flood-free land gives our community real hope. 

“This program has always been about people, not price and giving these houses a second life and delivering safer housing opportunities for our community.”   

NSW Reconstruction Authority A/Head, Adaptation, Mitigation & Reconstruction Kristie Clarke said, “We’ve had some great stories, including families who have become first-time homeowners thanks to this initiative.

“One hundred and thirty homes have been offered for sale and eventual relocation. This is an amazing outcome, and we will be back with more homes in the New Year.”