The Commonwealth Bank opened its new branch in the Lismore Shopping Square this morning after the original site in Woodlark Street was inundated by the catastrophic flooding on February 28.

The new branch marks the completion of a $2 million investment into Lismore this year, with a temporary pop-up branch operating in the town while the branch’s new permanent home in Lismore Square was constructed.

A Commonwealth Bank statement said the new branch reflects CBA’s commitment to Lismore and to regional Australia and demonstrates the Bank’s ongoing priority to maintain the largest branch network across the country.

Stephanie Darragh, CBA Lismore Branch Manager said: “Like so many homes and businesses, our branch was submerged by the East Coast floods this year. It has been the most trying and overwhelming period for so many people in our community, so our focus has been to always be there for Lismore, both in the immediate aftermath and while the town rebuilds.”

(Julie Magner, Stephanie Darragh and the Commonwealth Bank team with Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin and Lsimroe Square Centre Manager Shaun Haysom at the branch opening)

Shortly after the 2022 floods swept through Lismore, CBA deployed its mobile pop-up branch to the town and the branch team have been providing full face-to-face banking support to Lismore customers via the temporary branch on university grounds since then.

Regional Branch Manager Julie Magner told the Lismore App, "I could not be more thankful that our customers supported us through our period in the mobile pop-up branch at Southern Cross University."

"We started with one (pop-up) and after I spoke to Matt Comyn (CEO Commonwealth Bank) we had five by the end of the week. We had offices where we could sit down in airconditioning with people that had lost everything and talk about financial assistance with them."

"After being in the vibe in the pop-ups with the generator and the technology challenges and coming here, it's like I'm walking into a Sofitel Hotel."

The design of the offices has been looked at and developed since February 28 keeping in mind that Lismore will flood again.

"There has been a lot of design principles put in with extra tiling, less plaster with the plaster sheeting going to a certain height so the bottom can be removed really quickly. So, if there should be another natural disaster or flooding we should be operational quicker which was purely why we decided to move to Lismore Square."

Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin thanked Julie, Stephanie and the team for reopening, "On behalf of the community, thank you because every business that opens is important to our recovery. And thank you for the service you provided at SCU, I lived there for a while, so did Kevin (Hogan), we all moved into the uni. The Commonwealth Bank is rather iconic in Australian history, and to make sure that we have it here and stay here is so important and wherever you are as long as you're in Lismore that's important."

This was reflected by Branch Manager Stephanie Darragh, “This investment in Lismore reflects the importance of our branch network as one of the many ways customers can interact with us. We’ve been meeting customers’ financial needs in Lismore for over 110 years and are so pleased we can continue to do so at our new location in Lismore Square."

While today was a soft launch due to the proximity to Christmas for customers and retailers and the uncertainty of a completion date dues to trade shortages, there will be an official launch on February 1 2023.

"We'll be asking our recipients that received the community flood grants from the staff foundation to join us and share some stories around what they've done as well."

The CBA’s new Lismore branch showcases the latest in banking technology, including ATMs with instant deposit capability and a change machine.

The branch is located at Shop T039A, Lismore Square Shopping Centre, near Coles, and is open from 9.30am - 4pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 9:30am - 5pm on Thursdays.

To complement the new branch, CBA’s Business Banking team will relocate back to Lismore with a new office at Level 1, 24 Molesworth Street in early 2023 to support the North Coast and local Lismore businesses with their banking needs.

The investment in a new branch for Lismore also forms part of CBA’s broader support for the community and other flood-affected regions across Australia’s east coast. Together with CBA’s Emergency Assistance support, which is available for customers in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania, CBA also recently teamed up with charity organisation Thread Together to bring brand-new clothing to communities affected by the recent floods across New South Wales and Victoria.

(The exterior of the Commonwealth Bank branch in Lismore, NSW in the Lismore Shopping Square. Photo: supplied)

Thread Together provide unsold new clothing from fashion retailers to people in need across Australia for free via clothing hubs, mobile wardrobes and an online wardrobe service. As a joint initiative with CBA, Thread Together has deployed these valuable services to Lismore and other communities across the Northern Rivers, North West and the Riverina region of New South Wales and northern Victoria, and are providing thousands of individuals, families and communities with access to new clothing to restore some dignity during these challenging times.

Thanks to the overwhelming generosity of CBA customers and communities, CBA was able to raise $2.87 million via the Bank’s CanGive Flood Appeal for those affected by this year’s devastating events. To further support communities impacted by the floods, CBA also presented 216 local community organisations with a grant of up to $10,000 through the CommBank Flood Relief Grants program. Together, these combined support measures have contributed more than $4.87 million to help fund ongoing recovery efforts.

The Commonwealth Bank is another business to open in Lismore Square with Incy Wincy, a local children's operator, opening on Thursday and Just Cuts not too far away. The recovery from the February 28 flood is extraordinary, especially in the short time since Big W was officially the first store to reopen on June 16.

Many people thought that Lismore would struggle to recover but Lismore Shopping Square has bounced back remarkably.

"It's incredible, "Shaun Haysom the Centre Manager told the Lismore App today, "Super proud to work for the McConaghy family. We're in a really good spot and can see the smiles as we get around the centre of the community and the retailer's so extremely pleased."

That leaves three retail spaces left in Lismore Square until 100% occupancy. Did you think this would be the case in early March when you saw the state of the building?

"I did actually. There was a lot of confidence from head office and they have some incredible people working for the McConaghy family so honestly, I did."

The Food Court is taking a little longer to increase with Mayumi's Kitchen and McDonald's the only food retailers in the food court this side of Christmas.

"In the New Year we will have a donut operator, Asian Feast will be returning and they have been here for over 20 years and looking as if we will have a kebab operator open early in the New Year," Shaun concluded.

It is certainly nice to see Lismore springing back to life a lot quicker than most people thought would happen given the situation only 10 months ago.