Mt Pleasant Estate in Goonellabah doubled its housing numbers yesterday when the second relocated flood home was moved early Wednesday morning.

The NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) has said the goal is to move four homes onto the prepared sites before Christmas. The homes will be renovated to a high standard in early 2025, with the first homeowners moving in towards the end of 2025.

Mt Pleasant Estate is part of the NSW Government's $100 Resilient Lands Program (RLP). Thirty-nine (39) homes will be built in the estate and offered to flood-affected people and families first before hitting the open market.

The four houses have been purchased under the $790 million Resilient Homes Program (RHP), with more to be offered for sale in 2025 as the program progresses. It is funded by the NSW and Commonwealth Governments with the goal of moving people off the floodplain.

One of the key objectives of the project is to demonstrate the relocation process and potential for these character homes and how they can fit within a new neighbourhood. 

A local architect has been commissioned to provide the RA with design options for alterations to make sure the homes contribute to the character of the Goonellabah community and surrounding environment.  

Mount Pleasant was the second RLP site announced in 2024. The site will demonstrate a mix of small and standard lot sizes as well as detached and attached housing types with a range of price points for buyback participants.

Mount Pleasant is one of seven sites that have so far been identified under the Resilient Lands Program, the others are at East Lismore, North Lismore, Brunswick Heads, Ballina-Lennox Head, Summerland Estate near Casino and Junction Hill near Grafton.

It will also demonstrate housing types that could be rolled out at other RLP sites and builds on the community master planning work led by the RA in partnership with the Living Lab and Government Architect NSW.

The RA has held two community information sessions and BBQs at Mount Pleasant in May and September this year to keep the community updated on the proposed development. Changes have been made throughout the process, such as reducing the number of properties from 50 to 39.

Not everyone is happy with the end result, especially moving traditional Lismore timber homes into an area with a mostly modern brick/brick veneer build.

Both houses have been raised to allow parking underneath, which has also upset some local homeowners on Dudley Drive who used to look over bushland towards Tucki Tucki Creek.

(The four-site block of relocatable homes at Mt Pleasant Estate in Goonellabah. Two down, two to go)

The masterplan is moving towards finalisation to accelerate the delivery of new homes on the site. The site will be developed progressively over three stages from the end of 2024 to 2026.

RHP participants who have accepted a buyback offer will have the first opportunity to purchase property delivered under the RLP. Following the offer to RHP participants, any remaining properties will be made available to the broader public.

To stay up to date and receive more information about this or any other RLP development, people can register their interest by emailing RLP@reconstruction.nsw.gov.au or phone 1800 844 085.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said, “Australia’s largest resilience adaptation program is underway in the Northern Rivers, and the relocation of these buyback homes to Mount Pleasant is an important milestone.

“This really strengthens the link between the Resilient Homes Program and the Resilient Lands Program and gives people impacted by 2022 floods a way to get off the floodplain.

“The Mount Pleasant site will be an architecturally designed development that demonstrates the best use of mixed-housing types with the surrounding neighbourhood and natural features.”

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said, “We are providing homeowners hit by Australia’s worst-ever flood disaster with a range of options to get them off the floodplain and out of harm’s way.”

“We have reached a major milestone as the first homes are relocated off the floodplain, retaining their unique character and working with the local community to provide a more resilient future.” 

Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin said, "There is a high level of interest in the community for relocating homes or purchasing relocated homes and Mount Pleasant will be a good demonstration of how that can be done.

“Preserving these historic homes and providing that link to the past is important for the community, but Mount Pleasant will also provide a diverse range of other housing options and different price points.”