Yesterday, the Lismore App revealed the number of House Buybacks has been reduced from the initial estimate of 2000 homes to 1,100 by NRRC CEO David Witherdin.

The feedback from Lismore residents, politicians and community groups has been swift and harsh as Tranche 2 funding for the Resilient Homes Program has not been announced even though the NRRC is communicating with 6,471 registrations for either of the three programs, that is House Buybacks, Raisings and Retrofits, now and expects to let everyone know by the end of June which part of the program they fit into or don't fit at all.

Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan says Labor have abandoned the House Buyback Scheme.

"There were originally 2,058 homes identified for buyback. This has now been halved back to 1,091. Why?"

"Not because these houses are any safer, but because the Labor Governments are refusing to top up the scheme. When the scheme was announced in October last year it was phase one of the funding. Phase two has been abandoned."

"The question, therefore, has to be asked; what does moving half a street or neighbourhood achieve? It divides a community in half. It doesn’t keep people safe. It is basically spending $800 million to do half a job."

"Given Labor are abandoning the Buyback Scheme, it places increased importance on flood mitigation. When the CSIRO hands down its flood mitigation recommendations next year, we need to do what they recommend to take two metres off the flood level."

Executive Director of Resilient Lismore Elly Bird said, "The release of the NRRC maps yesterday came as a surprise and a shock for most people in the community." 

"It is the information that we have been asking for for more than a year now and the NRRC have had it for all that time. It should have been released much earlier so that people could make decisions about their future." 

"Instead, we have a situation where more than 6000 households have been told repeatedly for more than a year to just keep waiting. To keep waiting, and keep hoping that they would be offered a pathway to safety. And, while they have waited, they haven’t been able to move forward with their recovery." 

"There are many, many people who have been hoping for a buyback who have just been given the news they didn’t want and the most frustrating thing is that they could have been given that information much earlier." 

"People are rightly angry and upset. In Lismore itself, there are a number of houses that were flooded almost to their ceiling who will not be given a way out." 

"The downward revision of the promised 2000 to 1100 properties is confusing and hasn’t been communicated clearly. Our community is still at risk, we urge the Minns Labor government to immediately reassure our community that they are committed to the second tranche of funding that is required."

A typical comment from Lismore App readers is, "I helped friends who live in the South Lismore area to renovate their house and their cost was around $80,000 so right from the beginning the buyback amount was never going to be enough for people to move out to a higher position let alone retrofit or raise. Typical of whatever government is in power though, they're alright, it hasn't affected any of them except Janelle Saffin, whom I admire for her determination. She alone cannot get the real funds that are required."

Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin told the Lismore App, "The NRRC needs to tell people this is the money we’ve got and this is how we are prioritising that money."

"I am aware Tranche 2 funding is needed to complete the job."

Still no word from the NSW State Government on Tranche 2 funding for the Resilient Home Program.