Today marks the anniversary of the second major flood that hit Lismore 12 months ago. The levee was topped as the flood level hit 11.4 metres with water flowing through the CBD from Molesworth Street down towards Keen Street.

While that flood appeared more of an annoyance following the 14.4 metres of February 28 the month before, it did hamper cleanup operations and an already exhausted business community went through the pack-up again, if they managed to reopen in that 4-week window.

While Mayor Steve Krieg was at the Richmond River Historical Society grant announcement for the Lismore Museum today, he was asked about the state of Lismore City Council rebuild more than a year later.

"Where do you want to start?, he told reporters, "We're literally working through that as we speak, we've only just, in the last six or eight weeks, announced Bennett constructions to complete works like the building behind us. We've got something like $300 million worth of council assets. The swimming pool is a major asset that we want to get back up and running, and involved in that is our RSL. They're coming up to Anzac Day and I'm getting emails regularly asking when is our room going to get fixed?"

"We don't have answers to that, we're prioritizing on a needs basis, but the list is a mile long and it's really important for people to remember that even though Lismore looks a lot cleaner and tidier and there are shops opening, we've still got potentially a 10-year rebuild."

"We've only just completed emergency roadworks. Everyone's saying, oh, the roads are getting better, that's just the emergency phase. Now we've got the real construction phase, which is a minimum five-year project. And so I keep pleading patience with people, that is the reality."

"We could get a billion dollars in our bank account tomorrow but we don't have the staffing capability, we haven't designed the buildings and the road network, so there is still such a long way to go in the rebuild. But to be able to have the money provided for such critical infrastructure like our museum is really important."

In terms of House Buybacks starting to flow through from the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC), Mayor Krieg acknowledged it was a start but voiced his frustration along with the community about the lack of communication.

"Obviously, it's a start. It's very frustrating. Your patience levels wear thin when a lot of big promises were made early on and they just haven't come through. The Reconstruction Corporation has obviously done a lot of work, but it hasn't been really made public or there haven't been a lot of grandiose announcements about what's happening and where we're going. I'm actually meeting with them today to try and form a common vision and a common goal for council and the reconstruction corporation through the state government to push some of these things forward."

"At the end of the day, we've still got people 12 months on from the second flood sitting in limbo with no answers. We just have to provide those answers quickly and give people that certainty and that hope that we've talked about now for 13 months. We need to provide that to people even if it is going to take two years for their home to be relocated or whatever the case may be, at least they know."

"The historical society, if we, as a council can say, your building will be back operational in 2025, that's a target, that's a goal, that's something to work for. At the moment, we can't provide that."

"Thankfully the state election is over. We've got certainty around our government moving forward and we can actually provide that level of hope and give answers to not only organizations like the historical society but also our residents who have been waiting for 12 months now for that clarity and that certainty."

"As the mayor, I don't know what they're (the NRRC) doing. So, you know, I can't imagine what the residents are hearing or not hearing. Obviously, we want to work together closely as the council with the reconstruction corporation to ensure the best outcomes for everyone."

When asked what the priorities are in terms of the rebuild and his discussions with the new Premier Chris Minns, Mayor Krieg said residential housing is critical.

"We talk about it every single day. We've got to get our residents some clarity and certainty over their future. Obviously, there's a bit of work to do around the planning package that was delivered. The planning panel hasn't been such a big hit, so we'll look at modifying that no doubt. But we need to build some form of subdivisions or some land availability to relocate these homes, it was promised from day one. There hasn't been any movement so far."

"We've got Jamie Simmonds on board now, who was responsible for the Grantham relocations and I think that's a step in the right direction. He's a really cluey guy. As I said, council really wants to work closely with the reconstruction corporation, the state government to give people the best possible outcome. We heard 12 months ago from the Premier at the time, that no one will be worse off and at the moment, it feels like a lot of people are worse off. We've just got to move forward on that as quickly as we can."

With the Planning Panel not a popular choice for Lismore City Councillors and a new state government elected, Mayor Krieg said the rules will change so council will take that feedback and see if it can be tweaked so that it works for everyone.

"The NRRC has identified 30-something blocks of rural land that can potentially be used for residential relocations. So, that was the idea behind getting a planning panel in place, but if we can do it without that, and just get that fast-tracked, then obviously that's a win-win for everyone."

"We are, in essence, the ones that are still going to have to maintain and build the sewerage network, the water network, all of those infrastructure needs that go with building a residential block of land. So, council does need input on that. You can't put a residential subdivision at Tullera, for instance, when there's no infrastructure involved and then who maintains it down the track? That's where council laws and council need that input. We're not talking five years, we're talking 50 years down the track. We have to be able to maintain and supply the infrastructure for those blocks and that's where we need the input."

The Lismore App has an interview with CEO David Witherdin tomorrow for an NRRC update where some of these questions will be posed.