Lismore and the Northern Rivers are four days away from the third anniversary of the February 28 2022 big flood.

NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) CEO Mal Lanyon spent a great deal of time in our region soon after the event was declared a natural disaster. He was appointed as the Northern Rivers Region Recovery Coordinator, working the recovery headquarters at Southern Cross University with Superintendent of Richmond Police District Scott Tanner.

Mal Lanyon joined the Talking Lismore podcast to discuss our flood recovery in terms of the Resilience Homes Program and the Resilience Lands Program, outlining progress on infrastructure, buybacks and addressing illegal squatting.

Mr Lanyon emphasised the importance of visible community progress, highlighting ongoing infrastructure programs aimed at enhancing resilience. Key projects include a $145 million investment in waste and wastewater repairs, focusing on strengthening water security, particularly in East Lismore where the wastewater treatment plant was devastated by the floods.

This program also includes a $150 million Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program that encompasses 36 projects, including the repair of the Dorothy Street flood pumps, drainage improvements in Woodburn and Coraki, and upgrades to the Ballina and Tatham bridges. These upgrades aim to improve evacuation routes, including upgrading the Ballina Bridge to a dual carriageway and replacing wooden bridges at Tatham with all-weather bridges.

Addressing the pace of infrastructure delivery, Mr Lanyon acknowledged the need for thorough planning to ensure effective outcomes. He emphasised the collaborative process involved, working with designers, architects, and councils to achieve the best solutions. He also explained that securing funding, announcing funding, and working with designers and architects takes time, but they are working as quickly as possible.

"I would like to be able to say that we could deliver these infrastructure programs within weeks. But as you know, significant planning goes into them to make sure that they are actually going to achieve what we're looking to do. Securing funding, announcing funding, is a very important part of that process, working with designers, working with architects, to make sure that what we actually deliver, achieves. And that's been the important thing. They do take time. We are working as quickly as we can. We certainly understand for the confidence of the community, we need to keep making and showing progress to the community," said Mr Lanyon.

Regarding the Resilient Homes Program, Mr Lanyon provided an update on the buyback offers made to homeowners.

"So, we've made over 850 offers to homeowners we're seeking to buy back those homes, of which over 630 people have accepted, and we've now settled on those properties, which is a really significant workload. Again, it is a very complex program. It's a program that has never been delivered at the scale and scope that we are looking to do here, and it's very much a voluntary program.

"We listen to the community in terms of the design of the program. We continue to work with the community, but really, it's up to those homeowners to make a decision on whether they wish to accept those offers. So we'll continue to work with it. We project that we can go up to about 1300 homes for a buyback, but again, that's dependent on risk, so obviously, the priority has been given to making sure that those homes that we believe have the greatest risk to flood, both now and in the future, are prioritised for that scheme."

Work is progressing on the Resilient Lands program, with four homes relocated to Mt Pleasant Estate in Goonellabah undergoing renovations. Mr Lanyon said the homes are being renovated and landscaped to blend in with the existing community. The homes are "beautiful" and will be "very desirable" once complete, according to Mr Lanyon, who has visited the site. Once complete, the homes will be available for viewing and eventually put on the market.

"We're working very closely with the community to make sure that what we do in that master plan is consistent with the community's wishes," Mr Lanyon said. "We've already reduced the number of lots that we're looking to put on that estate based on feedback from the community, so we're working very closely and very keen to make that progress."

Mr Lanyon emphasised the NSWRA's commitment to community engagement, stating that the master plan for Mt Pleasant Estate is being developed based on community feedback. The reduction in the number of planned lots on the estate is a direct response to community input.

"Coming back into town yesterday, it's lovely to see how vibrant it is around the city centre. It is great to see it moving around. I want to see the whole of Lismore and the Northern Rivers moving forward, and that's why we've made a number of announcements. You've already seen things that we're doing here, the demonstrated work that we've already undertaken. So, buying back over 600 homes so far has taken time, but it's a significant commitment as well. We really want to make sure that people are able to move from what can be flood-prone land to flood-free land.

"We want people to be able to live safely in the Northern Rivers," Mr Lanyon said.

You can listen to the complete podcast by clicking Talking Lismore podcast through the Lismore App or by clicking https://www.buzzsprout.com/admin/2356456/episodes to listen through the Lismore App website.