Four years after floodwaters rose 14 metres through Lismore’s CBD, one of the city’s most symbolic buildings is almost ready to reopen.

Lismore City Hall, the last major forward-facing piece of public infrastructure still under reconstruction from the 2022 disaster, is now just weeks away from being handed back to Council.

Standing outside the building this week, Mayor Steve Krieg described the moment as significant.

“We are at a construction zone,” he said. “This is the last forward-facing piece of infrastructure since the 2022 flood to yet be open. We are close. We're looking at another four or five weeks before we can finally open the doors on City Hall.”

Inside the main room at City Hall

The project, funded through $20 million in Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements jointly funded by state and federal governments, has also received an additional $4 million from Council to incorporate resilience upgrades and improvements not covered under disaster funding.

City Hall was one of the most visible casualties of the 2022 flood. Now, as it nears completion, it marks a turning point.

“It’s hard to believe that we’re four years on from one of Australia’s biggest natural disasters,” Mayor Krieg said. “And in that time, we’ve achieved so much in the rebuild and the recovery of Lismore.”

The rebuild has focused not just on restoring the building, but strengthening it. While no structure in Lismore can be described as fully flood-proof, City Hall has been rebuilt with more durable, resilient materials designed to withstand future events.

“Is it perfect or is it flood proof? It’s not flood proof clearly,” Mayor Krieg said. “But it is a lot more resilient and a lot more hearty.”

Looking towards the Fountain Room in the downstairs part of City Hall

He pointed to practical design changes that reflect hard-earned lessons.

“It’s just things like floor coverings. Now when you go for a look through it, there’s epoxy floors rather than timber floors,” he said. “It’s industrial chic, as we like to call it in Lismore now, hose out and away you go again.”

Beyond the structural upgrades, the reopening will restore a key community space that has hosted everything from concerts and theatre to weddings, community forums and public events over generations.

Brand new amenities throughout the facility

Before the flood, City Hall was operated by NORPA, which has since relocated to The Joinery. Council is now in discussions with organisations about how the space will be programmed moving forward.

“It will be very much a community accessible space,” Mayor Krieg said.

He said interest is already building.

“We’ve already had contact from our local eisteddfod committee,” he said. “Let’s bring some concerts back. People talk about what music they’ve seen in City Hall in the past.”

He added that the venue will be flexible, capable of hosting weddings, community events, performances and more.

“Wedding venues, you name it,” he said.

Council expects the building to be formally handed back by the end of March, with an official opening anticipated in late April or early May.

Mayor Krieg recalled the devastation in the days immediately after the flood.

“I remember driving around with a major general who had done several tours to war zones and he’s crying going, ‘I’ve never seen anything like what I’m seeing in Lismore,’” he said. “And now look at how far we’ve come in four years.”

For the Mayor, City Hall reopening is not just about bricks and mortar, it is about confidence.

“Our council is doubling down,” he said. “We are committed to this city like you wouldn’t believe. We’re not like a state government agency that drifts in, spends a bit of time here and goes back to Sydney. We are here for the long haul.”

As tradies put the final touches on the building, there is a growing sense that this reopening represents more than just the return of a venue. It signals that the civic heart of Lismore is beating again.