Restoration works are now rolling out across the Lismore Showground, marking the most significant upgrade the grounds have seen since they were first established.

More than 20 buildings are being repaired, rebuilt or redesigned, with project teams moving across the site to fix the damage, and build back better.

North Coast National Project Manager Mark Bailey and North Coast National President John Gibson spent time walking The Lismore App through the grounds, showing the progress that has already been made.

(Mark Bailey and John Gibson standing in a completely guttered Fine Arts Pavilion)

Standing inside the Fine Arts Pavilion, where floodwater reached just under a metre high, Mark gestured to timber stripped back to bone.

“Once we took the weatherboards off, we uncovered some termite damage travelling right up into the ceiling,” he said. “That changed the entire scope. We weren’t just repairing flood damage anymore, we were rebuilding some of the structure.”

The solution is a building designed to be flood-resilient and practical. Marine ply will line the walls up to 2.4 metres, allowing sections to be unscrewed and replaced quickly after a future flood. Above that, new gyprock will finish the room cleanly, and for the first time in decades, the interior will be functional beyond Lismore Show week.

“A lot of the original stands were built in 1905. They had character, yes, but they weren’t compliant, they weren’t accessible, and people had to clamber up on awkward angles just to look at displays,” Mark said. “Now everything will be on wheels. Roller doors are going in. There’ll be storage built in. When the cabinets aren’t out, this will be a designated event space - weddings, dinners, community functions. It won’t sit empty 360 days a year like it used to.”

John nodded, noting that future plans include bathrooms at each end of the building.

“We won’t get there in this round, the money doesn’t stretch quite that far, but once we do, it’ll open this precinct right up,” he said. “It’ll feel like a venue, not just a pavilion.”

From there, we went down to the Jim Muldoon Poultry Pavilion, one of the most historic structures on the grounds, and one of the largest poultry facilities in New South Wales.

What was once a dairy cattle shed in the 1950s now hosts shows that draw competitors from across the country.

“This is one of the oldest poultry clubs in Australia,” John said. “People travel long distances to be here. It’s well regarded, and it’s been that way for a long time. Our big winter shows bring 800 to 1200 birds. With new pens, we’ll be able to cater for 1,250 comfortably.”

The flood left the pavilion underwater, and when the original timber pens were assessed, repairing them proved more expensive than replacing them.

“We’ve ordered nearly $200,000 worth of new cages,” Mark said. “They’re better for the birds, easier to clean, healthier overall.

Beyond cages, the pavilion will receive freshly painted timbers, mechanical ventilation, new epoxy flooring, new side walls, and weatherboards that still line the perimeter will remain as a visible link to its agricultural past.

2026 marks the 125th anniversary of the Poultry Club, a milestone John says will be celebrated in full.

“There’ll be special prizes, extra money, a dinner on the Saturday night, we’ll hold it here at the showground,” he said. “Norma’s Kitchen is right across the way, so catering and hospitality are already here. We’ve got things other show societies don’t.”

The last stop was the woodchop arena, or what remains of it. The 1900s timber pavilion shifted during the 2022 flood, likely lifting off its piers and settling back down crooked, leaving it structurally unsalvageable.

“The flood didn’t just rise, it came through with velocity,” Mark said. “Engineers ruled out repair, the cost was too high, the structure too far gone, so we’re replacing it entirely.”

The new facility will be slab-based with a modern skillion roof, and shaded space for seating where grandstands can be rolled in during competition.

“Next year’s show includes an Australian title and a couple of state championships,” Mark said. “We’re the only show outside the Royals - Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne - that hosts an Australian championship.”

Across the grounds, timelines remain flexible. The original aim was to complete works by May, then June - but lead paint, DA approvals, engineered components and scope adjustments have pushed some completion dates toward July.

“It’s an unusual and unique project, 20 buildings affected, some for the first time ever,” Mark said. “This showground has gone through many floods, but the scale and speed of the 2022 event changed everything. This rebuild dwarfs anything before it, not just in size, but in scale of investment. It’s the biggest renewal these grounds have seen.”