It was a tough beginning for Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC) CEO David Witherdin during the first of three public sessions where he explained the process for the Resilient Homes Program.

After eight months of waiting for grant announcements, grant applications and then receiving the money (with some still waiting) with no clear vision for the future as people struggled to put a roof over their heads and their families, people came looking for answers.

Unfortunately, there are still more questions than answers and the majority of people left the session feeling as if they were 'none the wiser' than when they entered.

You have to feel for David Witherdin, Gareth James (Executive Director of Program Delivery) and the NRRC. Their hearts and their belief to help the people of Lismore and the Northern Rivers is real. The problem is that residents want answers now and they are just not available as the process is only beginning.

To give you a sense of size and scale since the $700 million funding announcement was made last Friday, more than 1400 people have registered for the Resilient Homes Program with more than 4000 registered for the Flood Property Assessment Program previously. That is a lot of data to sort and work through in a short period of time. But you try telling that to people who are still living in caravans or with friends eight months after the worst natural disaster in Australia's history.

As David Witherdin said, "This program is enormous. It dwarfs anything else that's been done in this country before."

(A slide during the presentation showing the different zones and what they will be eligible for)

The Resilient Homes Program and the Resilient Land Program is a process that takes time with no blanket way of looking at all the people in each zone. As David Witherdin explained each case needs to be treated individually as each case is unique as they try to work out the best solution for each household. Read yesterday's story for more on the Red, Orange, Yellow and Green Zones House buybacks, raising and retrofitting explained with David Witherdin.

The positive news is that each person, couple or family will have only 1 person who will talk to them as there is one case manager per household.

David Witherdin didn't even get through his presentation as people wnate to ask questions about their scenario. These are most of the questions asked yesterday and the NRRC responses:

If I have had a Flood Property Asessment completed already, is that still valid now? Yes, the NRRC has the information contained in that report.

How does the NRRC prioritise the needs of the community? The NRRC will prioritise those that are at highest risk so those that have been most impacted by the floods.

Can we see a map of where the different zones are? No. The assessment is made on individual properties through a sophisticated model with varying criteria. David Witherdin said releasing a map like that could cause false expectation and false disappointment. There is no one rule for the red zone for example plus there are legitimate exceptional circumstances that could be raised that defies the map. The other concern David has is people's privacy, releasing a map doesn't suit everybody.

Will I be able to relocate my house? Absolutely. Suitably designed houses in suitable condition will have that option. "Any body who opts in for a buyback, it's absolutely our first preference is fo them to relocate that home."

Does the buyback include home relocation as well? No. Once you have your buybck money at pre-flood prices, the cost of relocating your home is yours.

Is the new land going to be affordable to people that have settled on a buyback? David Witherdin is very conscious of the price point of every block of land when it is released, "It is not going to be very helpful if we unlock all this supply, but those people who opted into voluntary purchase can't even afford to get back into the market. That is front of mind for us."

There was criticism that there is not full transparency from the NRRC and not enough communication. David Witherdin replied that "We are at the start of the process here. You look at the numbers we've got to deal with and things can't just physically happen in a matter of weeks but we will move through that process. We will progressively get more and more information out there. I absolutely welcome transparency in terms of all aspects of what we do."

Will insured people be worse off in the program? No. Gareth James said, "It doesn't affect your eligibility. If you did receive money to rebuild your house that will form part of the amounts that you will be offered."

If I have spent money on rebuilding my property to make it liveable, will that be added on to the buyback? No, "The money spent on your property pre-flood is not relevant if you are eligible for a buyback as your property is valued at mid-February prices."

What are some of the criteria that the NRRC is looking at to make a decision about house buybacks? "Flood height is one place to look at but there are a myriad of other factors that come into play like flood velocity, escape, if you've got a disability and things like that so don't just think flood height."

How are you going to work through the shortage of trades to fix all the homes? All I need is a hot water system and an electricity box and that has taken more than four months: Gareth replied, "We are looking at a number of delivery models to support this program because we know one solution won't fix the problem."

Talking to the media after the first session had wrapped up, CEO David Witherdin was asked about the audience reaction to the session.

"I understand the frustration of the community. They have lived through a terrible trauma and we're eight months on now. Everyday, you're waiting in some sort of limbo, waiting for a decision. I think people would like to know what does it mean for me? What is my option? How much and when?"

"Once we get some people through that program early, they've got outcomes, that will be a powerful thing. That will start to build some trust, some credibility in terms of the work we are doing here."

In terms of a timeline for completing those first house buyback transactions, David Witherdin said he expected a result by February 2023. Of course, they will be for people in the highest risk locations.

One question that has been raised is land swaps. Is that on the agenda for the Northern Rivers?

"We're not contemplating land swaps, as such, David Witherdin said, "People point to Grantham as the example of that but Grantham was dealing with 100 homes in a discreet location. There was an opportunity of flood free land just up from the existing village. We're talking over 2000 homes over an an enormous geographic area."

Mr Witherdin went on to say he certainly won't rule it out in certain discreet areas within small villages.

One of the key concerns for people who may be eligible for house buybacks is the affordability of not only land but relocating or building a new house in the new flood-free areas given interest rates are on the rise and house prices in these areas.

David Witherdin didn't have the answers yet but did say they are working with key stakeholders including banks on delayed settlements once the buy back agreements have been settled and on achieving affordable price points for those that are in high risk areas of Lismore.

This is one area that will be watched very closely in the coming weeks and months as the Resilient Land Program unfolds.

If you feel like you have missed your opportunity to give your feedback and ask questions to the NRRC team, David did say there will be opportunities at PRIMEX next week (Thursday to Saturday 9am to 4pm) and there will be more public forums like yesterday until the end of the year and into the new year. You can keep up to date with new sessions here.

TIME LINES

Individual Case Managers will be contacting those that have registered for the Reilient Homes Program by mid-November. The case managers have worked in disaster situations before like Victoria's bushfire recovery so they are well practiced in working with communities who have been through difficult times.

The first settlements for house buybacks should be complete by February 2023.