The 2025/2026 NSW Budget was handed down by Treasurer Daniel Mookhey yesterday. While the rest of the country was focused on the big ticket items for NSW, we will have a look at what the Northern Rivers will receive in the next 12 months.

It would be fair to say that Lismore has not been the recipient of any new large-scale funding in this budget. Rather, they are a continuation of funding commitments from previous years.

Below is the breakdown:

HEALTH

An additional $3.5 million First Nations community-led culturally responsive suicide prevention initiatives.

Continuing to deliver the:

• $265.0 million Port Macquarie Hospital Upgrade

• $263.8 million Grafton Base Hospital Redevelopment

• $13.0 million betterment of Lismore Ambulance Station

• $3.4 million betterment of Mullumbimby Ambulance Station

EDUCATION

• Upgrades at Casino High School as part of the High Potential and Gifted Education School Partner Program.

• Ongoing delivery of the Government’s 100 public preschools commitment, including at Bowraville Central School, and Lennox Head, Tacking Point and Wollongbar Public Schools.

• Continuing the Lennox Head Public School relocation.

• As at the start of the 2025 school year, teacher vacancies had reduced by an average of 72.9 per cent across the North Coast Local Government Areas, compared to the peak of the teacher shortage crisis in 2022.

TRANSPORT AND ROADS

• $548.5 million over four years to continue construction of the Coffs Harbour Bypass (NSW and Australian Government funded).

• $36.5 million over four years to continue work on the Pacific Highway Harrington Road Intersection Upgrade (NSW and Australian Government funded).

• $23.3 million over four years to continue improving safety, reliability and travel times on Waterfall Way.

• $3.9 million additional funding to upgrade the Bruxner Highway and Alphadale Road intersection, bringing the total commitment to $11.4 million.

COMMUNITIES AND JUSTICE

• $7.0 million for the new Goonellabah Fire Station, and to continue works to deliver an $8.2 million new Byron Bay Fire Station on an alternative site.

• $1.8 million in 2025-26 for the Lismore Courthouse Resilience Improvement Project.

DISASTER RECOVERY

• $359.2 million over four years to complete the Resilient Homes Program – Northern Rivers to enable flood tolerance for existing houses.

• $63.2 million over four years to complete the Resilient Lands Program to help relocate Northern Rivers residents impacted by the 2022 floods.

(Mt Pleasant sign when the site was announced by the NSWRA on March 25 as part of the Resilient Lands Program)

CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER

• $12.5 million in additional funding from the Australian Government for a water treatment plant, and storage, pumping and distribution infrastructure at Steuart McIntyre Dam for Kempsey.

• $2.5 million to investigate options to improve water security for towns in the Far North Coast region.

PRIMARY INDUSTRIES AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Measures to prevent the spread of fire ants from South East Queensland

PLANNING, HOUSING AND INFRASTRUCTURE

Continuing to deliver the $30.0 million investment into 50 build-to-rent apartments in East Lismore delivered by Landcom.

From a natural disaster perspective, the NSW Government has allocated $4.2 billion for disaster response and recovery. This figure is expected to increase in response to previous and potential new natural disasters, like the flooding on the Mid-North Coast in May this year.

In the six years since the unprecedented 2019-20 bushfires, the NSW and Australian Governments have spent $9.5 billion on disaster relief and recovery across the State. That averages $1.6 billion per year – more than a 1,000 per cent increase compared to $154.0 million per year on average in the prior six years.

INVESTING IN DISASTER RESPONSE AND RECOVERY

This Budget outlines a further $4.2 billion of disaster relief over the forward estimates, a figure that is likely to increase in response to both previous and potentially new natural disasters. Including Australian Government co-contributions, this includes:

• $2.3 billion for restoration works to repair local and state roads damaged in major flood events, including in the Hunter and Northern Rivers

• $1.6 billion for other disaster relief and recovery programs funded through the Disaster Relief Account administered by the NSW Reconstruction Authority

• $63.2 million for the Resilient Lands Program to unlock new home and land options in safe locations in the Northern Rivers and to support relocations

• $27.0 million over three years for repair and restoration of water and sewer infrastructure in the Central West, damaged by severe weather and flooding in 2022.

The $4.2 billion investment includes the following assistance measures in response to recent major disasters:

• $358.3 million over four years, including Australian Government co-contributions, for disaster recovery and relief measures in response to the May 2025 East Coast floods. This includes $56.6 million in immediate assistance in 2024-25

• $154.5 million over three years, including Australian Government co-contributions, for disaster recovery and relief measures in response to Tropical Cyclone Alfred. This includes $125.5 million in immediate assistance in 2024-25.

As mentioned, there are no new big-ticket items for Lismore; however, there are a number of items, such as the Resilient Homes Program, Resilient Lands Program and the 50 build-to-rent apartments in East Lismore that residents would like to see real progress made in the next 12 months.