At the time of writing this story, Hamish Webster waits with bated breath to confirm another step in his journey to cut links with the Lismore floodplain. He is relocating his cottage, over 100 years old, to a new destination in Nimbin. 

Before the relocation can happen, his construction certificate needs to be approved. Lismore City Council has been doing what it can to help award the approval in time. However, if it is not awarded in the next 24 hours, the booking for Hamish’s house relocation will be postponed from next week to an unknown date in the future.

(The house as it currently stands. Stripped bare, isolated from easy access and ready for its traumatic exit from the flood plain.)

Hamish bought his house in December 2020 for $250,000. It required some work, and after some renovations were completed, he found it required more. But, he was resolved to save this quaint, quirky cottage and make it his own.

The first major step was to get the cottage raised above the 1-in-100-year flood level. That was completed in August 2001. Then, it was a process of getting stuck into the rest of the renovation, restoring the hardwood cottage, stripping paint, replacing timbers that needed it and finding some interesting maintenance practices on the way.

(The front verandah had several layers of decking)

Hamish had a budget to build with, often making big decisions costing time and money.

“I had to buy these 10-metre beams at full length. We were told if we cut them off at the end, you're still paying for the whole beam anyway. So, okay, we'll keep the beams the full length and I'll put a veranda with access on it. I got plans and the DA approved for all of that. And then the flood happened.”

In the 2022 floods, Hamish found that the new raised height of the house was not enough. In fact, the flood waters went over the expected height by at least 1.7 metres. 

This required a rethink in strategy. “I was not going to invest more in the house now. It would be over-capitalising for something that's just been demolished, essentially.”

(Hamish indicates how high the flood water rose to at the cottage.)

“It was months of umming and ahing about what I should do. Then the buyback offers became a thing, and I had to think about what to do if I was offered one.”

Hamish was offered a buyback. However, he wasn't offered what he was hoping for.

“I paid $250k for the house. I spent $60k to raise it alone."

There was much more time and money spent on the cottage at that point, but Hamish did the rough maths.

"So that was $310k, and my buyback offer was $380k. And whilst I'm eternally grateful that I got something, because a lot of people didn't get anything. It was only enough for me to get a piece of land, which is what I did. I've had to borrow more money to finance the move.”

When we went inside, Hamish showed me the work that had been done, and the plans he had drawn up. A wall had been removed, opening up the inside. A large beam had been put up to support the roof where the wall had been.

“I got the beam from Nimbin. It is an old piece of hardwood timber from a bridge,” Hamish said.

The layout had been revised to a much more efficient design. with a laundry, larger bathroom, fireplace, and part of the kitchen were evidence of the work he had done so far. The finishes are rustic yet modern, showing attention to detail and care.

“I guess there was that tendency back in the day to have compartmentalised little rooms inside a small box, and I wanted to have that open space, but still keep the heritage of the place. That's why I've splashed out on a nice new door.

“It's funny, you know, when you get an old house, you get a century's worth of people living in it, and changing it, and altering it,” as Hamish points out some other changes that he surmises have occurred for one reason or another.

Growing up in Lismore, Hamish knows people who have lived in the house, and had friends here over time. “My next-door neighbour's dad was born in the house. It's cool to have that bit of local history.”

Hamish explained what he was offered with the buyback from the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA), “If you accept the buyback, one of the options was if you wanted to relocate your house, you keep your house.”

(Ready for relocation - outside, the beams are numbered for reassembling, and inside, a single screw indicates where the house will be cut in two.)

This provided some relief that he had not lost his house entirely. But, the end of Hamish's journey was still a long way off.  

To date, Hamish has been staying in a caravan at the back of the property.

“I did dig into my savings a bit and buy that caravan - it was meant to be like an interim place. I couldn't even find anyone that had a caravan to loan because there is such a housing crisis.”

(Hamish's current digs. He admits to it being chilly.)

“There were those schemes (NSWRA caravan scheme), but by the time I really seriously needed to start getting one organised, it was a month away from the due date. I just didn't basically trust that I was going to be able to navigate all the bureaucracy for a program like that and get it through quickly enough. 

“I had burnout, dealing with different agencies after going through the process to get to where I am now. I just didn't have it in me to apply for things and go and do all the paperwork. I just couldn't do it.

“I was actually the first person to get a ‘licensed to occupy’ post buyback. I fought for months and months and months to get that concession from the RA.” That allowed Hamish to stay on the land after he had settled his buyback.

“So up until then, you get your money, and then you get out of the house the next day. I was wondering about that. I was asked why I should have to move out of my house if I'm keeping it, and I'm going to relocate it. Shouldn't I be able to live in it until it gets relocated? 

“I had to fight really, really hard to get that. I was on the blower to Janelle Saffin's office every other day. On the blower to the RA every other day. 

“At the end, it was all very close, and on the exact same day of the settlement for the block of land at Nimbin, my buyback settlement came through. The money went straight into the account of the vendor that I was buying from, and then my licence to occupy also came through - all on that exact same day.

“It was such a roller coaster. It left me very stressed.”

The solicitor Hamish hired to assist him with the buyback sale, asked Hamish what he expected. “When I told him, “I want to get my buyback, but I want to also keep living in my house until I relocate it.’ 

"And he said to me, straight up, ‘Well, you're not going to get that. So you might have to manage your expectations.’ He was meant to be my solicitor, working for my interests, and that's the attitude that I got. I had to fight and advocate for myself really hard.”

After Hamish’s win, his efforts left a legacy for others in his situation.

“I was stoked because even though it was really hard, that set a new precedent. I've got friends who are now able to utilise that same concession for their own situations.”

“It just seemed mad to have this role. I didn't understand why there was this agency that was created purely for the purpose of helping people recover from the floods, and it kind of seemed ridiculous to me that they had rules that weren't in the interest of helping people.”

I asked if Hamish had a plan B that could be enacted in all of this turmoil. “I would have had to move out and find someplace to rent. I’d still be paying my mortgage and paying for rent at the same time - it just wasn't an option. I can't afford them. I had to get it to come through.”

Even if everything works out for Hamish in the next week and his house is relocated, it will take some time until the occupation certificate is awarded. Hamish said, “If I could get my occupation certificate by the end of August. I'd be stoked. But yeah, we'll see how it goes.

“As soon as I've got some sort of on-site power out there, I'll likely take the caravan out there so I can be on site.”

The requirements for what happens at this stage are a little vague, but Hamish will be expected to have the block cleared for handover completion. There are still a lot of building materials on site to be sold or relocated, but there is a risk of leaving these on an empty block, so the transition will need to be quick.

(Everything moved out from under the house, ready for its removal.)

Until we know what happens next, Hamish needs to touch base with his engineer, council, and keep the removalists informed. Again for Hamish, things are coming down to the wire.

“I just don't want to have it dragging on and on and on. I just want to get it done. Get it out there. I want to be sitting on my new veranda by the summertime. Then, have some friends over for a big party.”

Hamish is the third house relocation story covered by the Lismore App. Stacey and Ben Walder and Jo and Brendan Kilburn's story was told in early June. You can read their stories by clicking on the two links.