Monday was opening day in Lismore and nearby Wollongbar, with Blakebrook Public School, the Northern Rivers Wildlife Hospital, and the new purpose-built community services hub in Goonellabah all declared open.

The new building in Goonellabah brings together staff from the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ), Homes NSW, and Youth Justice, enabling better family and community support across government services.

These essential services need to be on deck and available at all times – none more so than DCJ if we have a crisis or natural disaster, as the lead agency to establish and operate evacuation centres. The new purpose-built office will allow local staff and caseworkers to return from temporary sites, where they have often worked from demountables, cars and home following their displacement due to the 2022 floods.

The NSW Government has opened three other government offices in Lismore as part of the recovery effort:

• 17 Conway Street, opened August 2024
• 214 Molesworth Street, opened October 2024
• 21 Conway Street, opened November 2024

Together, these facilities restore permanent infrastructure for government operations in the Northern Rivers, supporting the ongoing delivery of vital services to local communities.

(Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin admires new artwork by Sheldon Harrington inside the new building)

“We are deeply committed to ensuring the people of Lismore and the wider Northern Rivers region continue to receive the support they need to rebuild, recover, and thrive," Minister for Families and Communities, Kate Washington, said.

Minister Washington also wanted to acknowledge case workers and staff whose work often goes unseen and unappreciated by the broader community.

"Primarily, I really want to thank all of the case workers, child protection, out of home care, staff, all the DCJ teams who are here today. I want to acknowledge the importance of your work. I acknowledge that it is so often unseen, and I want you to know that our government sees you and that we are doing everything we can to try and make sure you feel valued. And this office is a big step in that direction. We know we've still got a lot more work to do."

Minister for Recovery, Minister for the North Coast and Member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin, took the opportunity to thank the minister for getting vulnerable children out of motels.

"I just want to commend Kate, and I have to say this here, because it doesn't get said enough since she's been minister and with her agency, and all of you, she has worked to get our most vulnerable children out of motels and into proper care. And I just really want to acknowledge her and all of you and say that's just one of the best things. We talk about buildings, we talk about structures, but how good is that at a human level?"

“As the local member, I want to thank all the local people who have had to engage with and visit DCJ, Homes NSW and Youth Justice, as I know it wasn’t always easy. I also want to acknowledge and thank the frontline DCJ, Homes NSW and Youth Justice staff who’ve worked through difficult conditions to keep services running.

The new home of DCJ, Homes NSW and Youth Justice is the old Northern Star building on Ballina Road, Goonellabah, near the Holland Street roundabout.