Local woman Tess Dellagiacoma was the first person to accept a buyback and have a Development Application (DA) approved to move her Molesworth Street house to a new location.

Tess will be leaving Lismore and relocating her house (and her life) to Tenterfield, as she could not afford to stay in the area.

She shared an all-too-common story of grief over having to leave her community - another trauma compounding upon the experience of having her home flooded and the difficult aftermath of that event.

When the Lismore App spoke with Tess, she described the process of the buyback with the NRRC as straight-forward, but she found the process of submitting a DA (development application) with Lismore City Council (LCC) to be difficult.

She was unable to submit via the LCC portal as it did not provide a selection option for her circumstances, and it took some time for LCC to respond to her requests for information as to what documentation and forms she needed to supply with her application as no one seemed to know.

Tess felt that with the amount of time council has had to prepare for people seeking to carry out this process, there should have been well-informed and streamlined procedures in place to make it simple for people who are already overwhelmed by the ordeal they have experienced.

Once LCC provided Tess with the information she needed, she was able to procure it and submit an application through the NSW Planning Portal and her DA has since been approved. She has engaged Mackay & Sons house removalists, who she said have been extremely helpful in the process of moving her home.

The DA required for the relocation of a home is one that relates to the demolition of the footings of a building.

In Tess’ case, with her application, she was required to supply a plan of the plumbing that would be capped off upon removal (which a local plumbing business helped her with). She also needed a special consideration form as her house is heritage listed and she must empty her pool upon vacating the block.

When contacted for comment about Tess' situation and the DA procedure to remove a house from its block, LCC responded with the following statement.

Lismore City Council steadfastly remains dedicated to ensuring an efficient and tailored approach for all applications relating to the Resilient Homes Program. All House Relocation applications should be submitted through the NSW Department of Planning portal.

Concurrently, Lismore City Council provides comprehensive assistance to applicants, guiding them through every step-in line with the Council's responsibilities.

We maintain a collaborative relationship with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation, continually streamlining the application procedures in response to their evolution. Moreover, a dedicated Council representative is always available to assist with every individual and confidential application.

Furthermore, in our pursuit to empower and equip our community, the Lismore City Council has developed the Lismore Housing Expo. This initiative underscores our commitment to providing the necessary expertise and resources essential for submissions related to the Resilient Homes Program.

Access this important information at the Lismore Housing Expo on Saturday, 11 November, from 10am to 2pm at the South Lismore Bowling Club.

For more details visit Council's website at www.lismore.nsw.gov.au or contact Council on 6625 0500.