In the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the NSW Government has taken immediate action to ensure that fire-ant-carrying materials, such as hay, sourced from both the storm-impacted and infested areas of southeast Queensland are now banned from entering NSW while the after effects are being assessed.Until there is a consolidated understanding of the impact on fire ant mobility and locations in the infected areas and outside that region, NSW must firstly protect its communities, farms and landscape.The Group Biosecurity Emergency Permit, which allowed movements of hay from lower risk areas in the fire ant biosecurity zone of Southeast Queensland under certain conditions, will be suspended for one month effective immediately.To protect our primary industries, the government is cracking down on the movement of materials such as hay, plus instigating increased surveillance and monitoring of movements across the border.The recent cyclonic high winds, rainfall and flooding has disrupted fire ants in southeast Queensland and consequently people in those areas may not be aware of fire ants moving into their businesses and stored materials such as hay, soil, landscaping materials, pots and soils.This follows the NSW Government’s suspension of turf being moved from Queensland Fire Ant-Infested Areas into NSW from November last year.The NSW Fire Ant Team has stepped-up efforts to prevent the spread of fire ants with proactive early detection surveillance across northern New South Wales. The initiative uses specially trained detection dogs and human surveillance teams to monitor high-risk sites to detect and prevent. This swift response follows the surveillance of multiple fire ant colonies moving in flood waters in Queensland, within the Logan River catchment. While the catchment flows to the northeast and into Moreton Bay, the risk of mobile fire ant colonies being transported into NSW in known carrier materials is increased because they may appear in new Queensland locations.  This suspension of hay movement allows the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) to further assess the distribution of fire ants following the flooding events and clearly determine the current biosecurity risk.Fodder material such as baled hay could be unsuspectedly transported into NSW without appropriate processing and endanger NSW primary industries.Other materials such as soil, sand, vegetation and debris are also regulated as high-risk carriers of fire ants and must be treated and handled according to the Order before they can be moved into NSW from the Queensland fire ant infested area.Surveillance will target high-risk locations identified through tracing of fire ant carrier materials, along with areas highlighted by habitat suitability modeling.The NSW Government is committed to protecting the state’s primary industries and has instigated record funding for biosecurity, $945 million, and specifically for combatting fire ants, $95 million.Since December 2023, over 390 record of movement declarations have been made for hay, documenting the movement of over 6,500t of hay into NSW.Minister for Agriculture Tara Moriarty said, “We’ve all seen the images of wind and rain in Queensland, and this is making the fire ants mobile over the coming weeks. The temporary suspension of the hay permit is a necessary step to mitigate the movement of these highly invasive pests.“The impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred are being felt in our agricultural sector in the north of the state. They need our support to get them back on their feet and don’t want a fire ant incursion adding stress and strain to their recovery.“We have increased surveillance focusing on high-risk areas and are employing advanced tracking and modelling techniques, taking strong preventative measures to stop fire ants."“Fire ants won’t march into NSW they will either be carried with materials such as soil, mulch, hay and turf, or fly in by natural spread from QLD. Which is why we’re ramping up surveillance in these high-risk areas.“Biosecurity is everyone’s responsibility, so it’s critical that businesses moving these types of materials comply with the Biosecurity Fire Ant Emergency Order.”NSW Chief Invasive Species Officer Scott Charlton said, “We know that fire ants will raft in water as a survival mechanism and move following rain and flooding events.“The recent videos and images on social media of fire ants forming rafts are no doubt concerning. However, we know from hydrological analysis that ants floating into NSW is not possible.“What we can do is mitigate the increased risks of human-assisted movement of fire ants from the infested areas of Queensland and suspend the hay permit.”

As the cleanup continues following Cyclone Alfred's devastation across South-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, cyber security experts are urgently warning the public to remain vigilant against a surge of online scams preying on victims in the aftermath of the disaster.  AUCyber CEO Chris Wright said it was a sad reality that whenever there was hardship, scammers usually weren’t too far behind. Something that Lismore and the Northern Rivers is only too aware of following the 2022 big flood. “We don’t want to see any more pain for people who have already suffered enough,” said Mr Wright. “Scammers are the lowest of the low and will take any opportunity to prey on people when they are at their most vulnerable—with their guard down, easy to scam.”  Top Scams to Watch Out for as the Cleanup Begins: Unannounced Contractors and Repair Scams - Fraudsters may show up at cyclone-affected properties, posing as contractors or insurance representatives. These scammers may offer to carry out quick repairs for an upfront payment but will disappear with the money and never complete the work. Phishing Emails - Cybercriminals may impersonate insurers, sending emails claiming to verify or update your personal information. These emails can trick victims into revealing sensitive data, such as bank account details, personal identification numbers, or MyGov credentials, which can be used for identity theft. Fake Donation Campaigns - Fraudulent pages claiming to raise money for cyclone victims often emerge across social media platforms, where donors are unknowingly funding criminal enterprises rather than legitimate relief efforts. Impersonation of Government and Relief Agencies - Scammers may pose as representatives from organisations like the Australian Red Cross, Centrelink, or the Government, offering emergency assistance or housing and asking for sensitive information like Medicare numbers or bank account details.  AUCyber’s Top 8 Tips to Protect Yourself During the Cleanup:  Lodge Your Insurance Claim Through Official Channels - Always file your claim directly with your insurer online or over the phone. Avoid third-party websites or unsolicited offers. Keep Your Reference Number Handy - Ensure your insurance reference number is easily accessible, like in your phone case, to streamline any communication with your insurer. Never Pay to Fast-Track Work - Be wary of anyone asking for payment to expedite repairs or insurance claims. Your insurer will never ask for money upfront to speed up the process. Verify Contractor Credentials - No builder or contractor working on behalf of your insurer should request payment. Always check their credentials before proceeding with any services. Don’t Be Pressured into Quick Contracts - Avoid signing contracts under pressure, especially in the aftermath of a disaster. Take the time to read and understand any agreement. Check the Sender’s Email Address - Ensure any email communication claiming to be from your insurer is legitimate by verifying the sender’s email address. If in Doubt, Contact Your Insurer Directly - If you are uncertain about an offer or email, contact your insurer directly using known contact details to confirm its legitimacy. Report Suspicious Activity: If you suspect a scam, report it to ScamWatch (Australia). Awareness is key to preventing further exploitation.  “The recent 2025 LA wildfires showed us just how quickly cybercriminals can exploit a disaster. Fraudulent charity campaigns, phishing schemes, and fake contractors were launched in the chaos, preying on the vulnerability of both victims and donors,” Mr Wright said.  

The latest long-term weather forecasting from the Bureau of Meteorology shows a 43% chance of a wetter than usual end to March (17 to 30 March), so there may be some wet days towards the end of the month.The good news is 'unusually wet' is classified as greater than 134.8mm. If spread out, this should not be a problem for Lismore and the Northern Rivers.So far this month, we have recorded 405.2mm with 280mm of that received in two days last week. The mean rainfall for the month of March is 181.4mm.The likely scenario in terms of averages is for 'above median rainfall' (59.8mm) being 66%.When looking at the rainfall for April, we could sum it up by saying "on the wetter side" as well.The chance of 'above median rainfall', which is 131mm is 63%, while the chance of an 'unusually wet' April (greater than 278mm) is 31%.May's unusually wet percentage falls to 20%.In the short term, we will be enjoying plenty of sunshine with mostly sunny and sunny the forecast for the weekend with maximums of 28 and 29 degrees.

As the recovery continues from Tropical Cyclone Alfred, there are a number of financial options available to help individuals and businesses get back on their feet.It is certainly not an easy task to easily find, follow and understand what is available. The Lismore App has done its best to help by putting it in one place.One of the criteria for most financial aid is that you must reside or have a business in one of the following 17 Local Government Areas: Armidale, Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Glen Innes Severn, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Mid-Coast, Nambucca, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Richmond, Tenterfield and Tweed as well as the locality of Lord Howe Island, including any islands within a 3 nautical mile radius.That can reduce in size, but is noted.Personal Hardship Assistance Payment - NSW GovernmentA one-off payment of $180 for eligible individuals and $180 per eligible dependent (up to a maximum of 4 dependents)and up to $900 per family is available from Service NSW for essential costs such as food, clothing, medicine and emergency accommodation.To be eligible for this payment, individuals must reside in one of the declared affected Local Government Areas and as a result of the disaster event:experienced a power outage of 48 hours or more orbeen subject to evacuation orders (Category red emergency warning).Applications are now open and will close on 8 April 2025. More information is available on the Service NSW website.DISASTER RELIEF GRANTS - NSW GovernmentThe purpose of the DRG Program is to support those most in need and those least able to return their homes to a safe and habitable condition after a natural disaster such as low-income earners and where the damage is not covered by insurance, subject to eligibility requirements. In doing so, it seeks to alleviate personal hardship and distress arising as a result of natural disasters in NSW. Who can apply?Criteria 1 Income: You must be a low-income earnerCriteria 2 Insurance: You're unable to claim costs under an insurance policy or you are uninsured.Criteria 3 Principal Place of Residence: The damaged property is your principal place of residenceCriteria 4 Cause of Damage: The damage was caused by a declared natural disaster Criteria 5 Within Scope: It has been less than 6 months since the disaster, and that the grant provided allows for the safe and habitable return of a resident to their home Criteria 6 Realisable Assets: That you do not have any assets that could be used to support you post disaster. Who can’t apply?You cannot apply if: you're able to claim under insurancethe damaged home is an investment property that you do not live inlack of maintenance has caused the damagethe damage is minor and repairs are not essential to live in the property. Essential Household Goods (HHG) GrantThere are two types of Essential Household Good Grants to support eligible applicant who are impacted by a natural disaster. Essential household goods: Under the Household Goods Grant, a maximum of $18,000 is available as a contribution toward the cost of re-establishing essential household items considered necessary to maintain a basic standard of living. Items include bedding, furniture, clothing and essential electrical items such as a refrigerator, washing machine, or stove. The HHG grant assists low-income residents who have no other means of purchasing or repairing these essential household items and are not covered by insurance. For more information on this you can access the FAQ document, which includes a list of items and nominal costing associated with each item.Rough Sleepers/Camping Package: Rough sleepers can apply for a small grant that is contribution to replacing essential items, such as a tent and sleeping bag. A flat rate of $1,200 is available plus $150 for each additional resident. STRUCTURAL GRANTSStructural Grants provide a contribution toward essential structural works for households unable to meet the cost of repairs and may also assist in relocation-related costs. These grants assist low-income homeowners who have no other means of restoring their homes to a safe and habitable condition. There are 4 types of Structural Grants available (depending on the type of damage suffered by the eligible applicant): Repair Grant: A contribution towards essential structural repairs to a Residence (including a relocatable home) to assist in restoring it to a safe and habitable condition – grant amount is determined based on assessment of scope of works and threshold considerations. Rebuild Grant: A contribution towards the rebuild of a residence (including a relocatable home) to a basic level that has been rendered uninhabitable – grant amount is determined based on assessment of scope of works and threshold considerations.Temporary Dwelling Grants: a Flat-rate Temporary Dwelling Package – flat rate of $5,000 for repairs and $10,000 if the temporary dwelling has been rendered uninhabitable.  Access Grant: A contribution of up to $50,000 towards a basic level of repairs to legal accessways on private property where there are no safe alternate routes to the residence or temporary dwelling (and where the Accessway was maintained and fit for purpose prior to the natural disaster). If you meet the above criteria, further information, including what documents you need to provide, by clicking here.AUSTRALIAN DISASTER RECOVERY PAYMENT - Australian GovernmentIf you are eligible, you'll get a $1,000 grant per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child. This grant is being activated for impacted LGAs. They are: Ballina Local Government Area (LGA), Byron LGA, Lillian Rock in Kyogle LGA, Lismore LGA, Tweed LGA, Yamba in Clarence Valley LGA.You have until 11 September 2025 to make a claim for the following areas:To find out how to make a claim, click here.AUSTRALIAN RECOVERY ALLOWANCE - Australian GovernmentThis is a short-term payment you can get for a maximum of 13 weeks. This will be paid from the day you started to lose income.You cannot receive this payment if you are already receiving: Age Pension, Austudy, Carer Payment, Disability Support Pension, JobSeeker Payment, Prenting Payment, Special Benefit, Youth Allowance, a Service Pension, Income Support Supplement or veteran payment from the Department of Veteran's Affairs, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Farm Household Allowance, Parental Leave Pay and Self-Employment Allowance.If you’re eligible, you’ll get the maximum equivalent rate of JobSeeker Payment or Youth Allowance, depending on your personal circumstances.The government will reduce your payment to zero if your income is more than the average weekly income amount of $1,924.60 before tax.Disaster Recovery Allowance is a taxable payment and needs to be included in your tax return.Click here to learn how to make a claim.BUSINESS AND PRIMARY PRODUCERS - NSW GovernmentNATURAL DISASTER RELIEF LOANS for SMALL BUSINESSSmall business operators directly affected by a declared natural disaster may be eligible for a low interest loan of up to $130,000 to support recovery.The concessional loans have a two-year interest and repayment free period and may be used for essential working capital for up to 12 months from the date of the disaster, to continue trading until normal income resumes and for replacements and repairs to damages caused to the small business as a result of the natural disaster.Check out the program guidelines or if you are ready to apply, click here.NATURAL DISASTER RELIEF LOANS for PRIMARY PRODUCERSPrimary producers directly affected by a declared natural disaster may be eligible for a low interest loan of up to $130,000 to support recovery.The concessional loans have a two-year interest and repayment free period and may be used for essential working capital for up to 12 months from the date of the disaster, to continue farming operations until normal income resumes and for the replacement and repair of property damaged as a result of the natural disaster.Check out the program guidelines or if you are ready to apply, click here.NATURAL DISASTER TRANSPORT SUBSIDYThe Natural Disaster Transport Subsidy is available to eligible primary producers for the transport of fodder and/or water to a property, stock to/from agistment, stock to sale or slaughter, or bee or oyster movements following a declared natural disaster.An eligible primary producer or primary production enterprise can claim a maximum subsidy of $15,000 (GST-exclusive) in one financial year, regardless of how many parcels of land or aquaculture leases for oysters they operate and whether the declared natural disaster spans one or two financial years.The subsidy will be paid for road transport (for fodder, water, stock and bees) or water-based movements using a vessel (for oysters) at a rate of 50% of the total amount (GST-exclusive) paid to the carrier or specified costs for an owner-driver. A maximum distance of 1500 km applies for road transport. Check out the program guidelines or if you are ready to apply, click here.NATURAL DISASTER RELIEF LOANS for NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONSNatural Disaster Relief Loans assist voluntary non-profit organisations directly affected by a declared natural disaster including flood, fire or storm damage.The concessional loans are available for the restoration of essential facilities that have been damaged or destroyed by a natural disaster and may also be directed towards temporary storage or leasing of alternate premises.Eligible non-proft organisations impacted by the declared natural disaster can apply to borrow a maximum amount of $25,000. All loans have a term of up to 5 years, depending on the amount borrowed and your repayment capacity. Check out the program guidelines or if you are ready to apply, click here.SPORTING and RECREATIONAL CLUBS:Concessional loans up to $10,000 and a Grant up to $2,000No links can be found.After reading the list of Disaster Relief Payments, Allowance, Grants and Loans, and you are still confused (I don't blame you), there are Recovery Assistance Points with staff from Service NSW and other government agencies who can help explain each in more detail and help you through the application process. They are at:Tweed Heads – Tweed Heads South Community Hall Cnr Heffron St and Minjungbal Dr, South Tweed Heads, open 9am - 5pmLismore – Southern Cross University, Military Road, East Lismore Room V1.19, open 9am - 5pm (For SCU, it is at the Visual Arts building after the stop sign off University Loop if you come down from the Ballina Road/Rotary Drive roundabout or if you travel up Rifle Range Road, it is on your left after you turn left at T junction.Coffs Harbour – C.ex Coffs 2-6 Vernon Street, Coffs Harbour, open 10am - 6pm Ballina - Ballina Surf Club Lighthouse Beach Parade, East Ballina, open 9am – 5pm There are mobile venues in the following villages:14 March 2025Coraki - Mid Richmond Neighbourhood Centre, Shop 1 - 121 Richmond Terrace, Coraki, from 11:00am to 1:00pmNana Glen - Nana Glen Community Hall, 26 Grafton St, Nana Glen, from 11:00am to 1:00pmMurwillumbah - Murwillumbah Civic Centre Auditorium, 10-14 Tumbulgum Rd, Murwillumbah, from 11.00am to 1.00pmWoodburn - Mid Richmond Neighbourhood Centre, 123-125 River St, Woodburn, from 4:00pm to 6:00pmByron Bay - Marvell Hall, 37 Marvell St, Byron Bay, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm15 March 2025Wardell - Pod Village, Bath Street, Wardell Recreation Ground, from 11:00am to 2:00pm

Amid claims from the Prime Minister on Monday that insurance companies are "ripping off Australians", the Insurance Council of Australia (ICA), insurers, reinsurers, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other government agencies met yesterday morning to discuss how the insurance sector is supporting customers impacted by ex-TC Alfred.The meeting heard that insurers pre-emptively contacted more than a quarter of a million customers across south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales with safety and preparedness tips and how to lodge a claim as quickly as possible.The ICA said insurers added hundreds of additional claims consultants, engaged round-the-clock major event response teams during the active phase of the event, pre-reserved temporary accommodation for impacted customers, and secured a strong network of builder and supplier capacity in potentially impacted areas.While claims types differ from region to region, insurers reported that pre-event concerns about large numbers of severe wind damage claims have not been realised, with some customers in localised areas making flood claims and many more thousandsof customers across the path of the event making claims related to storm-driven water damage and food spoilage due to power outages.Insurers having already paid almost $2.4 million in emergency cash payments to almost 6,000 impacted policyholders, generally for items such as food spoilage and temporary accommodation.As of midday yesterday, insurers had received more than 34,000 claims across southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales, an increase of more than 50 per cent.The ICA also warned today about ‘disaster chasers’ operating in impacted communities. Disaster chasers may offer to undertake work such as tree and debris removal, requesting payment upfront in cash but often leaving work poorly done or incomplete.Disaster chasers can also offer to undertake home inspections or repairs for cash payment. Some disaster chasers pressure homeowners to sign a contract on the spot for future repair work and may promise their insurer will pay.This can leave the homeowner liable to pay a commission or inflated repair bills not covered by their insurance policy, as insurers will only pay for approved work that is covered by a policy.Residents who believe they may have been approached by or signed with a disaster chaser should seek guidance from their insurer.Andrew Hall, CEO, Insurance Council of Australia said, "As part of the recovery from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred insurers and reinsurers met today with NEMA and other government agencies to share what the industry is observing on the ground."This ongoing dialogue with our partners in government is crucial to ensuring that resources are deployed to where they are needed most."Insurers have already paid out almost $2.4 million in 6,000 small emergency cash payments to help impacted customers get through the immediate aftermath of this event, for items such as food and temporary accommodation."Claims numbers are increasing significantly each day, with more than 34,000 claims now received by insurers, the large majority from Queensland."Neither the government nor the opposition has announced a policy to address issues in the insurance industry.

As we heard earlier this week, 22 Lifeblood Donor Centres were forced to close because of the effects of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.Scott Morrison, Group Account Relationship Manager, was joined by Australian Red Cross CEO Andrew Colvin and Federal member for page Kevin Hogan is launching a national Cyclone Alfred blood appeal to try and urgently restock blood and plasma supplies. As is often the case with the Lismore Donor Centre on Bounty Street, yesterday was booked out after only reopening on Monday."Here at Lismore, we've been open for two days, and today we are fully booked," stated Scott Morrison, "And if Lismore residents can open their doors and roll up their sleeves, the rest of Australia can as well. "It's not just for this week, it's for the next several weeks. We do need to catch up about 6000 donations. So 1000 donations a day are needed to urgently boost the National Blood stock of blood and plasma products.""34% of our blood products and plasma go towards cancer patients. So we all know someone who's been touched by cancer these days, throughout any of their treatment, they are using a significant amount of our blood products there. "Also, you have maternity wards, mothers giving birth, you have accident emergency, trauma, and also elective surgeries for daily managed operations of a normal hospital scenario throughout our national healthcare system. Blood and blood products, plasma and platelets, are vital part of the network system to keep Australia healthy, well and safe."Kevin Hogan said, "So I know many of you have donated blood in the past, I know many wonderful people who do that. We all certainly know people whose lives have literally been saved because of the blood supplies that we collect through Red Cross centers. So, if you're thinking about it, if you're thinking you might have some time over the next day or in the next week or so, please come in and donate blood. It's going to make a big difference to the 1000 a day that we are short, and don't forget you get a free snack, and you get a drink. It's all worthwhile."(Helen will not only greet you with a smile, she will make you a milkshake of your choice)Andrew Colvin said, "Clearly, this has been a difficult time for the community. It's important that we all reconnect at this time, and you'll see our red shirts out and about amongst the community. We're closing the evacuation centers, of course, but now it's very important that we start to think about what comes next for the region, what does recovery look like? And we're working very closely with our partners, the SES with Reconstruction Authority, as well as the Rural Fire Service on what needs to come next, and that's a critical part of this for us. "If you do want to support Australian Red Cross, in many ways, you can do it. You've heard today about donating blood, of course, if you want to donate time, we would be very appreciative of that. If you can't donate blood, you can't donate time, but you want to support us in some way, please go to our website, redcross.org.au, have a look at our Tropical Cyclone Alfred Appeal. Critical funds that you can support us with, go directly to the community, help them recover and to help them move on to the next phase of their lives. When asked why Lismore continually punches above its weight in terms of blood and plasma donations, Kevin Hogan said, "There's a word that I actually don't like, but I'm going to have to use it to answer your question. I mean, obviously we are a resilient community, and we've been through a lot. Andrew and I were just talking, Andrew, as you may know, I'm sure you do, was very integral with our bushfires and the role he had then. So our community has been through a lot, and I think we know we need to keep moving on. I think we value places like the Red Cross Donor Centre. We know the importance of it. Lismore today is almost back to normal. Everyone's reopened their businesses. We want to get back to life. We want life to be normal again. And part of that is community involvement and community spirit, donating and being involved with the Australian Red Cross." If you can spare an hour for blood or 90 minutes for plasma in the next six weeks, call 131 495, download the Lifeblood app or visit the website www.lifeblood.com.au to make a booking.

Scott Tanner began his role as the Tropical Cyclone Alfred Recovery Coordinator yesterday. A job he has been fully immersed in since accepting it last week.But what exactly does a Recovery Coordinator do?"So, I'm really still unpacking it, but the area of operation is anywhere that Tropical Cyclone Alfred impacted, and it's based on those national disaster direct declarations that they put in place."Really, the brief is getting community back up and running again, and getting all the functional areas working, getting all the functional area people talking to each other, so make sure the transport and health and education are all on the same page and there's no duplication, making it a speedier process."I guess if you actually really wanted to nut it down to something really basic, because I'm a basic type of person, is that I want to be able to get the community back near as possible to how it was before we went into this event. And that's going to be difficult, because we're still suffering from the 2022 event. So, sort of like you're bringing us back from a disaster, back to half a disaster, if that makes sense, as quickly as possible.""We learned from 2022, and I tried to get out of the habit of comparing to 2022 because that was just a monster. People say, Oh, geez, you've done a great job, you've got people back into their homes really quickly and out of the evac centres. Yeah, because they had homes to go back to. They weren't destroyed. Whereas in 2022, they had nothing to go back to. We forget there were thousands of homes that were uninhabitable.Where are you starting the recovery?"The things that we can control, certainly the cleanup of the debris, that's going exceptionally well. They've completed 1547 rapid damage assessments across the area so far."They're finding very, very low levels of damage. So that's businesses and houses that they've inspected. That's really good. So, there's a few that obviously have sustained some variety of damage, you know, trees in the backyards, or a tree on the garage roof and things like that. A quick fix. Get in, get it out of there and get their insurance involved. And then, if it's not insured, they might be eligible for some funding."The pace at which Scott and the team are moving is impressive. Lismore, Kyogle and Tweed shires have been completed, and the cleanup and assessments are now focused on the Coffs Harbour area. This process is carried out by mutliple agencies."It's the SES, the RFS and Fire and Rescue. They also sometimes call upon the ADF to help. And what it is is basically they'll go and have a look at a place or property, they log it on their system and go yes its habitable, minor damage, take photos, and then that can be sent off as part of the impact assessment."For instance, we'll go, Okay, we know, there's, for instance, five houses that need their roof repaired. So then you put that onto the insurance company, if they're insured, and you go, right, I'll get on to trades quick and then quarantine that trade network for that area."So, really, my role is about making sure the priorities are aligned, things don't drag, and there are no double ups too. An example was given to me today, that after 2022 flood event, there was a lot of stuff about the road network and Public Works we're doing some and Transport for NSW we're doing some and they're both trying to source the same contractors."And you go, well, what's more important, is it driveways to people's places, or is it a main arterial road that connects community? So that's what we want to get away from this time, is that there is no duplication, that we know we can share the trades and get the right people."While flood waters have reced in Lismore, it's not the case in Coraki, as is the case after every flood as the water from the Wilsons and Richmond rivers make there way slowly to Ballina."The further out you go, the more we're finding. I've got a lot of photos sent through from National Parks, and they've been smashed. So they're road networks, which you never really consider, that need fixing so it can reopen. Because people want to come to our state parks and our national forests, and if they can't access it, they're not going to come. That has an impact on industry, has an impact on accommodation, tourism, all that kind of stuff."From today, people can access the Recovery Access Points in four locations in Lismore, Tweed Heads, Coffs Harbour and Ballina. The addresses are:Tweed Heads – Tweed Heads South Community Hall Cnr Heffron St and Minjungbal Dr, South Tweed Heads, open 9am - 5pmLismore – Southern Cross University, Military Road, East Lismore Room V1.19, open 9am - 5pmCoffs Harbour – C.ex Coffs 2-6 Vernon Street, Coffs Harbour, open 10am - 6pm Ballina - Ballina Surf Club Lighthouse Beach Parade, East Ballina, open 9am – 5pm For simplicity, the Lismore Recovery Access point is listed as V1.19, which is the Visual Arts building at the top of Southern Cross University. This is the first building on the left when you drive down University Loop from the Ballina Road/Rotary Drive roundabout, or if you drive to the top of Rifle Range Road from Industry Drive/Cynthia Wilson Drive.These are only the permanent Recovery Access Points (RAPs), there are also quite a few mobile Recovery Access Points for those who live away from the big towns:13 March 2025Dorrigo -  Dorrigo Community Hall, Hickory St, Dorrigo, from 11:00am to 1:00pmOcean Shores - Ocean Shores Community Centre, 55 Rajah Rd, Ocean Shores, from 11:00am to 1:00pmKyogle - Kyogle KMI, 6-8 Stratheden St, Kyogle Entry via Roxy Lane, from 2:00pm to 6:00pmMullumbimby - Mullumbimby Civic Hall, 55 Dalley St, Mullumbimby, from 4:00pm to 6:00pmBellingen - Uniting Church Hall, Cnr Hyde & Ford Streets, Bellingen, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm14 March 2025Coraki - Mid Richmond Neighbourhood Centre, Shop 1 - 121 Richmond Terrace, Coraki, from 11:00am to 1:00pmNana Glen - Nana Glen Community Hall, 26 Grafton St, Nana Glen, from 11:00am to 1:00pmMurwillumbah - Murwillumbah Civic Centre Auditorium, 10-14 Tumbulgum Rd, Murwillumbah, from 11.00am to 1.00pmWoodburn - Mid Richmond Neighbourhood Centre, 123-125 River St, Woodburn, from 4:00pm to 6:00pmByron Bay - Marvell Hall, 37 Marvell St, Byron Bay, from 4:00pm to 6:00pm15 March 2025Wardell - Pod Village, Bath Street, Wardell Recreation Ground, from 11:00am to 2:00pmPlease note: this information is subject to change, with more locations to be rolled out based on community need.Scott Tanner said how important it is to get out to other parts of the Northern Rivers."It's nice having a central point for these RAPs, which you know might be Lismore, but we need to make sure that we get out to Coraki, that we get out to Woodburn, we get out to Evans Head and feed those services out there."The RAPs are for people to come and access services. So there'll be Service NSW, there'll be Welfare services, Health services there. People there can actually step them through the grants process, for instance, or they can come to us and go, You know what? I have got damage at my place, or I need this."Really it's about having a central contact point to come to and speak face to face with a person and not be online, or having to talk to a phone or AI, and getting that support. But we're really going to ramp up the wellbeing support in these RAPs because we know this is re-traumatised a hell of a lot of people, including emergency services and essential workers."We have definitely seen that. I mean, we had to evacuate our police station again, and that brings back a thousand memories. We had to move our police out of Woodburn and Coraki. People forget they lost their homes and all their possessions last time. And we had twenty of our own police who lost their homes in 2022.When the mobile RAPs are visiting our villages, they will be in vans and cars."We'll just stack it up with whatever we need to, because it might be a unique place of a community like down in the Bellingen area, Meldrum. The little locality of Meldrum is not an actual town, but it's a locality. And there might be a hall there, but it's really impacted. So, we go there for a couple of hours a day and say, hey, here we are. We can come to you."Again, a lot of these communities, the telecom network is still not up everywhere. So, we found before in 2022 that people don't want to go to the big towns or the big cities to access these services. They want us to come to them. So that's what I said to the team. We are flexible. For instance, I was speaking to a couple of guys on the team, and they said, Oh, we can't get up to Dorrigo because the road is shut. So I said I'll get you a helicopter. Simple. I've got the resources of the state at the moment. So, you know, for me, that's a no brainer. You can't let that get in the way of people getting support.

Arguably the biggest long term issue for Lismore and Northern Rivers residents is flood mitigation.Everyone understands the significance of the CSIRO report on June 30 this year and, more importantly, the release of the final mitigation modelling on June 30, 2026. This will show a number of mitigation scenarios that will take varying amounts of height of a flood in the Richmond catchment, which will then be costed.What the community wants to hear is reassurance from the Federal Government that it will provide the necessary financial support to lower future flood heights, make insurance affordable and boost confidence for future investment in our region.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was asked that question on Monday at the Lismore SES base on Brunswick Street."Well, we of course have already, I think, shown our bona fides through the commitments that we've made. $150 million through the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program to the New South Wales Government to deliver flood mitigation resilience projects."We have commissioned the CSIRO to do that work. $880 million with New South Wales for the Resilient Homes program to buy back homes and upgrade those which can be made safer. So we await the report. We'll give it proper consideration when we receive it."When asked the same question, Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan added more detail."I brought it up personally with him as well, and again, in a private meeting that I had. And look, I'm talking to everybody about flood mitigation, and have done for three years. We do, unfortunately, and everyone that I talk to says this, and I understand this, but we have to wait for the CSIRO report in about a month or two."They will have done all the mapping, the LIDAR mapping, that they've done, and then they'll have to say what do you want modelled? Now, I always have said, Let's model taking off a metre to two metres off a flood, and see how much that costs, and where we would do that, and how that would look and work. So I'm hoping that is one of the things that we model. That will then take, and they'll do other models, so that then will take around 12 months to push the button and do all that because this is quite full on work."What they're going to come back with in another 12 months time, by the middle of, say, hopefully 2026, is, say, Okay, if you want to take a metre and a half of a flood, this is where you would have to hold the water back, or slow the water down, in these four, five or six locations. This is what you might do at Boundary Creek in Ballina to let the water go quicker. And there might be other things they come up with that would help."We then have to look at that and go, Okay, which one are we going to do? Which one are we going to fund? And how are we going to do this? Now, while we're not getting commitments from funding at the moment, there's no model to look at and say, well, that's the one, and we have no costings around how much it would be. But what I would like at least is some people talking positively and talking that we'll commit to things when we see them."If that work from the CSIRO wasn't happening, what are we waiting for? What would we have to look forward to, except for a half botched buyback scheme. So, this is very positive that the modelling is happening and it's going to be a very, hopefully, positive conversation we have in a year and a bit's time, this is what we want to do and this is how we're going to do it and this is what we're going to fund it with."Speaking of the CSIRO report, lead scientist Jai Vaze said the next stage, the Calibration Report, is on time for a June 30 finish.From that moment on, Jai and his team are capable of testing the various scenarios given to them by the Regional Masterplan with input from councils and the community. That modelling is expected to be completed and released by 30 June 2026.Jai said this is not an easy job. "It's one of the hardest catchments I have modelled, largely because it is populated. A lot of the time my research is in unpopulated areas. This is a massive job, especially because it is the entire Richmond catchment. This is why no one has ever tried before."Talking to Jai, you can tell he and his team are passionate about and working very hard on the CSIRO report to hit the suggested deadlines. They are committed to delivering the most sophisticated flood modelling, as well as the first of its kind, for the Richmond catchment that will deliver the best flood mitigation suggestions for our community. We're in good hands with the CSIRO. But not so sure about Federal Government funding at this stage.

Applications for Personal Hardship Assistance Grants are now open, helping cover out-of-pocket expenses incurred following the impact of Tropical Cyclone Alfred across northern NSW. The jointly funded Commonwealth and NSW Government package provides emergency financial assistance of $180 for individuals or up to $900 per family to cover essential costs such as food, clothing, medicines and emergency accommodation. Applications can be made online through your MyService Account on the Service NSW website (https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/nsw-support-cyclone-alfred-march-2025) or on the Service NSW mobile app.  To be eligible for a Personal Hardship Assistance Grant, you must reside in one of the 18 declared affected Local Government Areas, and you must have been either subject to evacuation orders (Category red emergency warning) or experienced power outages of more than 48 hours.NSW Government staff will be available onsite at Recovery Assistance Points to help residents and businesses access a range of essential government services to aid their recovery. Impacted community members are encouraged to visit the Recovery Assistance Points which will open tomorrow, Thursday, 13 March: Tweed Heads – Tweed Heads South Community Hall Cnr Heffron St and Minjungbal Dr, South Tweed Heads, open 9am - 5pmLismore – Southern Cross University, Military Road, East Lismore Room V1.19, open 9am - 5pmCoffs Harbour – C.ex Coffs 2-6 Vernon Street, Coffs Harbour, open 10am - 6pm Ballina - Ballina Surf Club Lighthouse Beach Parade, East Ballina, open 9am – 5pm Reconstruction Authority and Service NSW teams will also be available to help at mobile recovery outreach locations across the region running between Thursday and Saturday, including Dorrigo, Mullumbimby, Coraki, Nana Glen, Byron Bay and Murwillumbah. While people do not need to attend a Recovery Assistance Point or Service NSW Centre to access a Personal Hardship Assistance Grant, staff can assist those who are unable to apply through the Service NSW website or app. People can also contact Service NSW on 13 77 88 for assistance.The NSW Reconstruction Authority is working alongside other government agencies, local governments, non-government organisations, and community groups to repair essential infrastructure, assess social recovery and mental health impacts, understand the needs of small business and primary producers, and coordinate any additional support that may be required to help the community recover.To find out about support available to communities following Tropical Cyclone Alfred visit www.nsw.gov.au/cyclonealfredrecoveryMinister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said, “The impacts of an event like ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred are far reaching and as we shift to recovery, we hope these payments can help ease the immediate financial burden being felt by families and individuals.  “The NSW Government is here to lend a helping hand in restocking your fridge, replacing damaged goods and other essentials.  “These payments have a proven track record of offering relief in times of hardship and have previously helped the residents of Broken Hill to recover from the recent power outage.   “This is just the first step in recovery that the NSW Government and the community will navigate together.” Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said, “We are on the ground, delivering vital support to communities affected by Tropical Cyclone Alfred and providing residents and businesses the assistance they need. “Whether it's applying for Personal Hardship Assistance payments, accessing essential services or receiving in-person guidance, the NSW Government alongside support organisations is here to help. “We are continuing to assist communities affected by this natural disaster and moving quickly into recovery by offering a range of support services. Whether you’re an individual or family, business or farmer, or someone who requires health or mental health support, I encourage you to reach out.” Minister for the North Coast Rose Jackson said, “As we move from response to recovery, the NSW Government is making sure people across the North Coast can get back on their feet.“These personal hardship payments offer immediate assistance, so that individuals and families can get the essentials like food and medicine, or cover a range of other out-of-pocket costs. “I want to assure these communities that we’re here for the long run as we begin to take stock of the impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and shift our focus to repair and recovery.” Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery and Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said, “I encourage people to check their eligibility and apply for a range of disaster assistance being offered by the Minns and Albanese governments.“Thousands of Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands residents have been impacted by the now Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the damage left in its path, prolonged power outages and isolation from flooding. “I thank the NSW Premier Chris Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, together with responsible ministers, for moving quickly to ensure timely disaster declarations and early assistance. “If you live in any of the 18 disaster declared Local Government Areas, check your eligibility and apply for financial support to get back on your feet.”

Following Premier Chris Minns' hard line yesterday on the demolition of houses in Pine Street that will see the removal of illegal squatters, the NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) has begun making plans to make that happen.A spokesperson for the NSWRA said, "The NSW Reconstruction Authority is working with Police to resolve the issue of occupants illegally living in homes devastated by the catastrophic 2022 floods. "Illegal occupancy obstructs our efforts to repurpose, relocate or demolish these properties, delaying the community’s recovery and safety."These homes were bought back by the Government because they pose a serious and ongoing risk to human life. The most recent operational planning for ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred demonstrated the vulnerability of the bought-back homes and the significant burden placed on the NSW SES who undertook doorknocking as part of evacuation orders."Pine Street, where illegal occupants have been staying, was impacted by the cyclone with the street flooded and occupants subject to an evacuation order by the SES. "It is untenable for them to return and illegally occupy these homes again."The RA is working to engage contractors to undertake emergency demolitions as quickly as possible following ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. The demolitions will be focused on the highest flood and safety risk areas in the first instance."Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully was in Lismore and the Northern Rivers today touring affected communities including Woodburn and Broadwater to discuss what each needs for its recovery.When asked about the illegal Pine Street squatters, Minister Scully said, "We've got people who are illegally occupying homes that we bought back because these are dangerous locations, right? This is not a sport. This is not a game. This is not free accommodation provided by the New South Wales Government. These sites were identified because it's dangerous to live in."What we've seen over the last week is just how quickly that danger can re-emerge, and we're not about to replace one problem with another. When it comes to this, people are occupying those houses illegally. They have been provided offers of assistance on multiple occasions where they might be eligible."The government remains ready to provide assistance to those who need it, but where there are people who are taking advantage of the fact that other people have had to leave their house and had a buyback because of the danger that area poses, we're not going to tolerate the illegal occupation of places. That's not what the program is about. The program was about making people safe, not to be taken advantage of with the illegal occupation.(Pine Street during the flood peak on Saturday)Minister Scully was asked if the government is planning to make arrests if needed to get the job done?"Look, we have been in constant conversation with police about this situation the whole way through. Mr. Lanyon may be able to add some more details, given his background and has been dealing with more directly. Our bottom line is we don't want buy back homes illegally occupied. That's as simple as that. These homes were bought back and identified for buyback because they are in a dangerous location. Now that doesn't mean that it's safe for some other group to go in there and occupy illegally. We will continue to work with police. We will continue to work with it and work on the situation there, but those who are occupying those properties illegally, should leave.Mal Lanyon, the CEO of NSWRA, said that the legal process of removing the illegal squatters is still progressing."It's still very much afoot. The actions for a writ of possession are with the Supreme Court at the moment. At this stage, they've not been withdrawn. Our preference, obviously, would be to negotiate a withdrawal of the illegal occupants peacefully from the premises down there. We'll continue to work with the police and the sheriffs with a view to making that happen."Minister Scully also got tough when answering a question on house relocations through the Resilient Homes Program."People said, wherever possible, we'd like to either salvage some of the material that's there if the homes are too far damaged to be occupied ever again, or to move it where it's possible. We've had a number of home moves that have happened. I was up here a couple of weeks ago. There were four up the road from here that I was able to go and see. We've had an expression of interest process where people have been able to identify homes that they may be interested in moving and we will continue to wherever possible, make homes that have been bought back and can be relocated and can still be habitable, available to people to buy and relocate as far as possible."But you can't do that when people are illegally occupying them. That's the bottom line. You know, this is not a rental inspection game. You can't just say knock on the door one day and say, Hey, illegal occupants. Do you mind if we come in and have a look to see if we might want to buy this? No, we need to be able to have clear things so we can assess them from an engineering point of view, and then people can consider them from whether or not they are in a position to be able to relocate them to another area. We would prefer to see relocations wherever possible."While speaking at the launch of a National Blood Drive in Lismore today, Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan was asked about his thoughts on the illegal Pine Street squatters."Well, I'm glad that the Premier's here, and realises the situation. We know, we've been aware of this for 12 months at least. I have a lot of people from north and south Lismore who come to me and talk to me about that, and they have health and safety concerns. There was a man murdered when he went into a home he owned about twelve months ago that you may remember."I'm glad they're acting. What they're doing is illegal. None of them are flood victims. None of them are locals. They're predominantly people from overseas, and they're taking advantage of a situation that, I think, is unfair and very disappointing that some people in the community are supporting that."There are allegedly people in this community giving free legal advice, legal people giving free legal advice to the squatters, on how to get around this, or to delay this, or to make it expensive for the government to get rid of them, that's outrageous. So they're getting free legal advice about what to do, what to say, what not to do, so that they don't have to move. And that's delaying it because there's appeals now going through the court system that the taxpayer has to fund.The Lismore App visited Pine Street late this morning asking for an interview. Rio identified himself as a media liaison person, who attempted to contact a spokesperson. No one came forward. Our contact details were left to organise a chat this afternoon. At the time of writing, the Lismore App has not heard from anyone living on Pine Street.As the removal or now demolition process continues, it will no doubt come to a head in the coming weeks.

More than two weeks after the draw, Lismore’s newest multi-millionaire has come forward to claim their $3.3 million Saturday Lotto division one prize, halting The Lott’s search for the mystery winner. The New South Wales player held one of the 14 division one winning entries nationally in Saturday Lotto draw 4549, drawn Saturday 22 February 2025. Each division one winning entry pocketed $3,333,333.34. Officials from The Lott and people of Lismore had been eagerly waiting for the ticketholder to check their ticket and come forward. However, how the winner plans to enjoy life as a multi-millionaire will forever remain a mystery as they have chosen to remain completely anonymous and celebrate in private. The winning entry was purchased at Lismore Square News, Shop 78, Lismore Shopping Square, 95 Diadem Street, Lismore. Lismore Square News owners David and Kristin said they were over the moon to have sold their second division one winning ticket in less than two months. “We can’t believe our store has done it again! This is our second division one winning ticket in two months, and we can imagine the winning streak will continue,” David said. “The store will be buzzing with excitement, and we can just imagine all our customers will be so happy for us and the mystery winner. “It’s a wonderful time for the Northern Rivers region, which has seen quite a few big wins as of late!“Congratulations to the fortunate winner! We couldn’t be happier for you.” The winning numbers in Saturday Lotto draw 4549 on 22 February 2025 were 5, 39, 26, 2, 28 and 31, while the supplementary numbers were 7 and 8. 

As communities impacted by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred begin clean-up and recovery efforts, there are warnings today to remain vigilant against potential fundraising scams to ensure you’re not wasting your donation.The great Aussie spirit that sees many people want to dig deep to help others in a time of need can be taken advantage of by scammers.NSW Fair Trading is warning donors against scammers who often seek to exploit this goodwill by setting up fake fundraising pages or posing as legitimate charities.Top tips to avoid fundraising scams:Check credentials: Only donate to registered charities with a charitable fundraising licence. Avoid unsolicited requests: Be wary of phone calls, emails, or social media messages asking for donations.Research before you donate: Use official channels like the ACNC Charity Register and Verify NSW.Report suspicious activity: Visit Scamwatch and NSW Fair Trading.To check if a charity is legitimate and holds a charitable fundraising licence, visit Verify NSW here: https://verify.licence.nsw.gov.au/home/Charities or use the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Charity Register here: https://www.acnc.gov.au/charity/charities.To report a scam or express concerns about illegitimate fundraising activities, visit Contact Scamwatch here: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/ and NSW Fair Trading here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/fair-trading/complaints-and-enquiries or call NSW Fair Trading on 13 32 20.People looking to make a financial contribution or to donate other goods such as food or clothing are encouraged to visit the GIVIT website (a non-profit organisation partnering with the NSW and Queensland Governments to support communities impacted by Cyclone Alfred) here: https://www.givit.org.au/tropical-cyclone-alfred.GIVIT lists essential goods and services required by people and recovery groups in specific communities and allows people to donate the item or contribute financially towards it.The list of items is regularly updated as recovery efforts progress.For more information and support on how to donate responsibly, please visit the NSW Government website here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/emergency/recovery/donations.Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said, “It’s inspiring to see the outpouring of support to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred victims from NSW communities, but we want to ensure donations reach those in need rather than unscrupulous scammers.“That’s why we are urging everyone, before donating, please take a moment to verify that the charity or fundraiser you intend to donate to is licensed and legitimate.“Unfortunately, scammers will take advantage of people’s goodwill during a natural disaster like ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.“Scammers can be very convincing, often using emotional appeals, fake social media pages, or crowdfunding platforms so please be scam-aware and contact NSW Fair Trading if you are in doubt.”Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib, “Thank you to the thousands of volunteers across the NSW State Emergency Service and other emergency agencies who worked tirelessly to assist Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast communities this past week.“It speaks volumes that people that want to help, but please consider donating to help those in need through GIVIT or another reputable charity you feel comfortable with.“These charities will ensure people get exactly what they need when they need it.”

Lismore City Council has given an update to areas of the community that are still affected by water over the road for residential kerbside collection.For Bexhill and Clunes residentsDue to road closures, Council was unable to access the Bexhill and Clunes areas today, Tuesday, 11 March.Please place ALL BINS on the kerbside next Tuesday, 18 March.For Wyrallah, Tuckurimba and Woodburn residentsDue to road closures, Council will be unable to access properties in the southern areas of Lismore Local Government Area today (Wednesday, 12 March).Please leave ALL BINS on the kerbside and Council will arrange a catch-up collection as soon as possible before your next scheduled collection on Wednesday, 19 March.We will advise as soon as this additional collection has been scheduled.Thank you for your continued patience as we resume regular services.

Tropical Cyclone Alfred tested all parts of our community, from residents and businesses to all levels of government. The question most asked was "did we learn anything from the February 2022 big flood"?The answer was an emphatic yes. Is there more to learn? Sure. When you cast your mind back to the chaotic rescue and recovery days of three years ago, we have come a long way.The Lismore App will chat to those who played a significant role throughout the traumatic last seven days in our Talking Lismore podcast.Brendan Logan, Lismore City Council's Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, is the first cab off the rank.Council planning and preparation started on Sunday, March 2, when Mr Logan was looking at a number of weather sites and realised that another weather event was going to hit the Lismore LGA."We got together on that Sunday, I mean, a couple of the other executives, and started to put a plan in place, one on how we communicate within the organisation, on what to expect and how we would mobilise the teams and what we needed to do. The whiteboard behind you, that's all the different things we needed to do on day one to get ready for this. It came down to that it's highly likely an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) will be set up."We needed to confirm who our LEMO's (lead emergency management organisations) were, who the backup LEMO's were, how we are going to attack the implementation of the levee plan, all those different things. How are we going to stand down our outdoor works? How are we going to secure those sites? How are we going to move our plant to higher ground? What are we going to do if we need to send people home or give work from home orders? Which of our assets need to be evacuated sooner rather than later, such as the art gallery, library, Lismore Memorial Baths, and then how we communicate that, both internally and externally."Then, obviously, the state legislation kicks in once they get to a point that they think there's something serious happening. The local LEOCON (local emergency operations controller) Mr. Scott Tanner sort of takes over from there. But we'd done just about everything we could in terms of preparation well before that was stood up this time, so we were able to just slide into that process and work from there."Mr Logan was also happy with the execution of the prepared plan."Most of the execution for us is around the levee. And sure, there's a lot of things you should just do pragmatically, look after your site, secure them, make sure you're looking after your assets. That was all pretty straightforward. Everyone just followed the plan and got on with it."But in terms of the role we have at that sort of local and regional level, it's actually quite small compared to the combat agencies. We got to do that levee implementation really well, and we started getting updates through the EOC on the Monday, and then Tuesday morning, we received our first sort of modeling and data through that process. I think it came from SES into that process that said Thursday afternoon, which is Thursday last week, is when things are going to get really difficult in terms of wind and rain, and that modeling was quite alarming."That was Tuesday morning. So we came up with a plan that had us done by 2pm Thursday in terms of levee implementation and everything we needed to do with their own sites, and most importantly, keeping everyone safe while we went through that. We knew how to prepare and roll out everything so that we were ahead of that curve."One of the lessons we could learn from this event was dealing with a cyclone and not just a lot of rain."I think all agencies, ourselves and all the state agencies, probably didn't know how to grapple with that properly. I wouldn't say anyone got anything wrong, and I'm certainly not being critical of anyone, but we should review this and look at what information was provided and what decisions were taken with that in mind. Because I know what was front and centre for me. It wasn't the cyclone, it wasn't the levee, it wasn't the water, it was the safety of our staff, because at the same time the data was forecasting a flood, it was forecasting 120 to 150 kilometer hour winds."So we had to negotiate with the SES and all those things to be getting our tasks around the levee and everything we needed to do outside well ahead of when we normally would, because we didn't want anyone outside exposed to those dangers while that was ramping up."The SES had told Mr Logan they were going to make earlier calls given forecasts and modeling data anyway, let alone with a cyclone bearing down on Lismore and the Northern Rivers. Was there a time when you felt the flooding was going to be bad?"I would say, I was on the fence all week. I could see the data. But I've been in the area 25 years, and you chuck those two things into the pot. I probably got most concerned on Saturday, just gone, when we had a river that was approaching a major flood, and you still had that rain event, that there was a lot of uncertainty about. And I said it could go north, it could go west, it could go south. And, you know, I think that was somewhat justified. I'm not sure how much was forecast for Hervey Bay, but I know they got 350 mil that they weren't really expecting. If that 350 mil had come this way, we probably wouldn't be talking now, but if we were, we'd be having a very different conversation.As for assessing the damage in the Lismore LGA caused by TC Alfred?"We're starting to assess a small amount of damage, but I was just driving around then, and we've still got quite high water in a lot of places. We've done a lot of work over the weekend on that, and we've been lucky enough to have the flood restoration team under Josh Hartcher, who have been living in that world for a couple of years. So we got them together with Josh Smith, the Deputy Chief Operating Officer, over the weekend, to come up with a system to one, make sure we capture everything, and two make sure we account for everything properly."And most importantly, the message I gave the team this morning was we don't want to rush this. I think there was a tendency after the 2022 event that we needed to rush through this and get everything restored as quickly as possible. And I wasn't here at the time, but my sense is that that's not the way to do these things regardless of the urgency, it needs to be measured."You need to understand your damage, and most importantly, you need to track your costs as a small regional council, because if you don't get that right, if anything's not eligible, suddenly Council's the one that's got to pay for it. So, I've asked the team to be thorough and proactive, but make sure they're not rushing and make sure they're measured in the way they do this.""The other thing I've asked them to do is don't go straight to outsourcing or don't go looking for people to do this on your behalf. We've got a lot of staff here, a lot of talented staff, and we've got a lot of plants, so where we can just self-deliver and look after our own LGA, I've asked the staff to make sure that happens before we worry about external people coming in to help.Mr Logan gave an average cost to council for each flood. A minor flood causes about $1-2 million damage to council assets, while a major flood causes above $10 million of damage. As Alfred arrived three years after Lismore's worst ever flood, we have a recovery on top of a recovery."I imagine we'll be north of $10 million in terms of damage from a flood of this magnitude, maybe more, because when you approach that major line versus the minor one, you're bringing into a lot of assets that don't get hit by the minor, like footpaths and barbecues and just a whole heap of other things that don't normally get damaged. So it's way too early to assess that, because the water hasn't dropped. But give it a day or two, and we'll have teams out there starting to look at that.Probably the most talked-about topic after a flood is the road network and the many potholes that appear. What is your advice to residents?"The guidelines say you've got to have it done in 90 days, and that doesn't mean you can take 90 days. So we're working to a 90 day period. The advice would be, certainly today, that we do require a little bit of patience. But, I guess what we want to do is get through that assessment phase, accurately, rather than quickly, but still as quick as we can. And then just be honest with people, here's what we've assessed, and here's the schedule of how we're going to do it. So, for better or worse, people can see where certain things are supposed to occur in terms of the time frame going forward."Lastly, Mr Logan wanted to praise his staff."I do want to call out the staff, particularly the core team, that have been working on this for the last 10 days. You're talking sort of minimum 12 hour days, back to back for about 10 days for a lot of people. We have started to stand people down to give them a rest. Everyone loved helping their community. I don't remember a raised voice. I don't remember any ego, everyone just checked all that out at the door and said, we're here to do a job."I was really, really proud just to sit back and watch the team get on with it like that. So I've got to call them out and, a call out to our state government partners. Post 2022, I felt we had to fight for what we're eligible for, and I'm probably on record for being a bit bullish about that, but I'll give the Matt Fullers, the James Bolton, the Mal Lanyon's credit. They came straight to us and said, Okay, we're on this. How can we help?"So it's fantastic to see everyone's grown out of that last one, and things are happening a lot quicker. There's, dare I say, a lot of trust building between us and the state agencies on how we deal with that."To listen to the full podcast, click Talking Lismore podcast or go to the Lismore App website under the News tab https://talkinglismore.buzzsprout.com/.

Essential Energy crews have brought the number down to 5,200 homes and businesses without power in the Northern NSW as they work through a large volume of faults and complicated repairs.There are still locations that crews are unable to access due to flood waters or road closures. Estimated times of restoration are being updated (when known) on the website outages page.Areas like Eureka (212 properties), Federal (36) and Nashua (4) are still without power.To assist customer recovery from the impacts of ex-cyclone Alfred and the extended periods of time without power, Essential Energy is offering the following: Pausing estimated meter reading for uninhabitable houses and buildings Reimbursement of up to $350 for the costs charged by an Accredited Service Provider (ASP) to a customer to disconnect and reconnect a property due to flood damage (note this excludes reimbursement for the cost for repairs or inspections) Pausing all Disconnections for Non-Payment (DNPs) in flood affected areas while the Natural Disaster continues Pausing of customer communications for Private Asset defects in flood affected areas Repairing or replacing any private assets which have been damaged or destroyed by flooding on a like-for-like basis at our cost Waiving the Certificate Compliance of Electrical Works (CCEW) cost for ASPs for flood affected post codes Contributing $600 towards supporting customers in the cost to re-connect to our network (e.g. if their house is a total loss) for flood-impacted customers within our network for a period of two yearsWaiving the daily access charge for customers for the period they were off supply. This amount will be reflected via a reduced access charge on customer bills sent by retailers.The community is reminded to please stay at least 8 metres away from fallen powerlines and 150 metres from lines submerged in water and should report the location to Essential Energy on 13 20 80.From tomorrow (12 March 2025), updates will be provided twice a day before 11am and before 5pm.

More NSW schools are resuming normal operations after the NSW Department of Education proactively closed schools last week to ensure the safety of teachers, staff, and students during the ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred emergency. More than 60 public schools are expected to re-open tomorrow, Wednesday, 12 March, after being closed due to increased risk of damage from possible flooding and winds last week.Trinity Catholic College and St Carthage's Primary School will also reopen tomorrow; however, St John's Woodlawn College will remain close until flood waters have receded and it is deemed safe to reopen.Currently, less than 20 public schools are expected to remain closed tomorrow, while further clean up and repair work takes place.On that list is Lismore South Public School and Coraki Public School.Lismore South is expecting to reopen for staff and students on Thursday. That is also the advice for Coraki Public School. At 4:30pm today, the Richmond River was still at major flood level of 5.71m.The number of closed schools is down from 335 NSW school closures across the state at the peak of the response.The full list of NSW public schools remaining non-operational will be published on the NSW Department of Education website, which will be regularly updated. Families are encouraged to check the website for updates.As the Department carries out its safety assessments, some damage to schools has been reported, along with multiple instances of fallen trees, which need to be made safe before students and staff can return.  Access to a small number of schools is still not possible due to flood impacts and road closures. Once it is possible to safely access these schools, the Department will carry out damage assessments and start any required clean-up and repair works to enable them to reopen.Catholic and Independent schools are also carrying out assessments of their schools and reopening facilities, and families should check their local school websites for further information.Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said, “Each day we are getting closer to having affected schools reopened and returned to normal, and all our Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast students back in classrooms.“Once again, I am grateful to our North Coast communities for their patience during this disrupted period.“It has been heartening to see our regional communities come together, with many of our frontline volunteers being teachers, who have continued to work for the good of those around them.”

NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery and Lismore MP Janelle Saffin has encouraged those affected by Cyclone Alfred to check their eligibility and apply for a range of disaster assistance being offered by the state and federal governments.“Thousands of Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and Northern Tablelands residents have been impacted by the now Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the damage left in its path, prolonged power outages and isolation from flooding,” Ms Saffin said.“I thank the NSW Premier Chris Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, together with responsible ministers, for moving quickly to ensure timely disaster declarations and early assistance.“If you live in Lismore City, Tweed Shire, Byron Shire hinterland, Kyogle or Tenterfield Shire (disaster declared local government areas within the Lismore Electorate), check your eligibility and apply for financial support to get back on your feet.”For updates on all facets of recovery go to www.nsw.gov.au/emergency/tropical-cyclone-alfred.Key disaster support includes:The Personal Hardship Assistance Grant of $180 for individuals or up to $900 per family to cover essential costs such as food, clothing, medicines and emergency accommodation, open from tomorrow (Wednesday, 12 March 2025) until Tuesday, 8 April 2025. Payment will be made to your bank account – this is not an in-person cash payment. Go to www.service.nsw.gov.au.The Disaster Relief Grant (DRG) Program supports those most in need and those least able to return their homes to a safe and habitable condition after a natural disaster, such as low-income earners and where the damage is not covered by insurance, subject to eligibility requirements. Also go to www.service.nsw.gov.au. For those who don’t have a Service NSW account or struggle with technology, support will also be available at their nearest Service NSW centre, Mobile Service centre, Recovery Assistance Point or Recovery Centre.The Disaster Recovery Allowance offers up to 13 weeks of income support for eligible workers and sole traders, depending on their personal circumstances, who have suffered a loss of income as a direct result of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Go to www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/natural-disaster-support.The Rural Assistance Authority (RAA) is currently providing the following assistance measures under Category B declaration that allows impacted small businesses, primary producers, not-for-profit organisations and sporting and recreational clubs and associations in declared LGAs to access concessional loans and subsidies. Go to www.raa.nsw.gov.au/loans/ndrl.Primary producers:     Concessional loans up to $130,000    Transport subsidies up to $15,000    Small businesses:     Concessional loans up to $130,000    Not-for-profit organisations:    Concessional loans up to $25,000    Transport subsidy for donated fodder Sporting and recreation clubs and associations: Concessional loans up to $10,000 The declaration applies to 18 Local Government Areas: Armidale, Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Dungog, Glenn Innes Severn, Kempsey, Kyogle, Lismore, Lord Howe Island, MidCoast, Nambucca Valley, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Richmond Valley, Tenterfield and Tweed. Agriculture and Animal Services Hotline - 1800 814 647. For farmers seeking assistance with emergency fodder to veterinarian assistance. Landholders can move stock to Travelling Stock Reserves (TSRs) when safe to do so and locate TSRs by using the Travelling Stock Reserves –State Classification Map. Livestock owners may use a TSR free of charge for up to 7 days during a declared emergency.And importantly,Lismore City Council, Kyogle Council, Tweed Shire Council, Byron Shire Council and Tenterfield Shire Council are among the 18 LGAs which can apply for up to $1 million under a $15-million Community Recovery Support Fund once full impacts are known. This proactive support for communities to undertake essential immediate clean-up and restoration of community assets such as pre-schools, senior citizen centres, libraries and community halls. The Fund has been made available under the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). 

Crime Stoppers is helping police make a significant impact on crime across NSW, with more than $13m worth of drugs and over 305 arrests in 2024, due to information provided directly by the community.In the 2024 year, NSW Crime Stoppers received over 93,000 tips equating to around 250 contacts each day (phone and online), helping Police enforce the law and prosecutors to ensure people are held accountable for their crimes – with most reports now made online.Crime Stoppers has been assisting in the safety and security of the New South Wales community for more than 35 years.With the community critical to ensuring information is provided, Crime Stoppers is visiting communities across NSW to highlight why information should be provided and how it’s used.Crime Stoppers NSW recently commissioned research relating to the reporting of crime tips with residents of NSW. This research shows how critical it is for the community to have confidence in the system. Conducted in February 2025, the key findings were:More than 55% those surveyed have never reported a tip and 21% of those considered doing so but ultimately did not.50% said they would provide a crime tip if the crime directly affected themselves or a family member.A smaller group (9%) are motivated to report a tip when it affects others beyond their immediate circle (stronger, local community or friend) representing individuals who are still willing to act for the broader good but may not feel as strong a sense of responsibility as those reporting for themselves or family or those who will report regardless.A significant proportion (37%) report they would be equally likely to report regardless of who is affected, indicating a generally strong sense of civic responsibility or belief that reporting is important regardless of personal connection.Uncertainty was the highest barrier to providing a crime tip and this was followed by fear then a lack of confidence.When it comes to types of criminal activity, those involving harm to individuals are most likely to be reported, followed by property theft. The top motivators for reporting are personal and family safety, followed by preventing it from happening again. Other reasons include protecting the community, doing the right thing, seeking justice, and confidence that justice will prevail.While 64% of NSW adults know they can report to Crime Stoppers in confidence, 36% are unaware.While fear and uncertainty are some of the major barriers to providing information, Crime Stoppers is reminding the community that information is provided in confidence.“All phone calls and online reports made to Crime Stoppers are made in confidence. There is no caller or computer ID when you make a report. This is reassuring for those who don’t want to be identified, don’t want the person to know they had made the call, particularly if it is someone they know, like a family member or colleague. Our message to the community is we don’t need to know who you are, just what you know,” said Crime Stoppers NSW CEO, Mr Peter Price AM.In the last 12 months we have seen a significant increase in online reports, and we want to encourage the community to continue to use our online portal, particularly if they have images or video footage relating to that tip.“We want to assure the community, reporting even the smallest piece of information may be a key piece of evidence needed in solving a crime. It may seem small but with information from other sources, it could be what Police are looking for to solve a crime. If you See something, hear something or know something, say something. Ultimately it means safer communities and that’s our aim,” added Mr Peter Price.There are so many good reasons to provide a tip to Crime Stoppers:It can keep you, your family and your community safe.It can stop the offender from committing further crimes and prevent others from being harmed.It can stop behaviour before it escalates.Reporting a crime tip means a higher chance a crime gets solved, or property gets recovered.Information can often lead to solving multiple crimes by the same offender.The Minister for Police and Counter-Terrorism, Yasmin Catley, has emphasised the vital role Crime Stoppers plays as a bridge between the community and the police.“Public intelligence is one of the greatest assets the NSW Police Force has, which is why information given to Crime Stoppers is so important“Crime Stoppers reporting is quick and easy—and remember, we don’t need to know who you are, just what you know.“If you see something, hear something, or know something, speak up. Your tip could be the missing piece of a much larger puzzle, potentially helping to solve a crime and making New South Wales a safer place for everyone.”Crime Stoppers and NSW Police are fully aware of the crucial role tips to Crime Stoppers plays in preventing and solving crime.Many investigations are supported – and sometimes even solved – through the assistance of information received from Crime Stoppers. Examples of these include:-  Strike Force Roslyn: In 2022, Zachary Davies-Scott was fatally shot during a home invasion in Heddon Greta. Multiple separate Crime Stoppers reports helped in corroborating evidence against one of the accused. Three men were ultimately charged and remain before the courts.-  Strike Force Zygon: In 2024, the bodies of Zhoujun `Sally’ Li and Jai-Bao `Rex’ Chen were located in Botany. A number of online reports made to Crime Stoppers greatly assisted investigators in understanding the circumstances around their deaths. While no one has been charged, police have identified two people offshore they believe to be responsible and are currently working with Commonwealth agencies and Taiwanese authorities.-  Strike Force Ajo: Public assistance was sought by way of Crime Stoppers tips to help locate and apprehend those responsible for break-and-enter offences at Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum in August 2024 during which 27 firearms were stolen. As a result, police charged three people and recovered 20 of the stolen firearms. -  Strike Force Harthouse: Information was received at Crime Stoppers in relation to cannabis crops at a remote location. Several weeks later, multiple crime scene warrants were executed at various locations. Cannabis plants were located and seized from rural areas along with a large amount of cannabis leaf, and over $50,000 in cash and firearms. Multiple people were arrested and charged with their involvement. The estimate street value of the drugs seized by police was in excess of $5 million. Detective Superintendent Danny Doherty, Commander of State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, said tips from the community can sometimes be the missing piece in solving a complex case.“We often rely on the eyes and ears of the community to help us piece together the puzzle of a crime. Crime Stoppers allows members of the community to share crucial information in confidence, which can be the key to solving a case,” Det Supt Doherty said.“Crime Stoppers helps bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community. By supporting Crime Stoppers, the community plays a direct role in making our streets safer. It's a partnership that benefits everyone.”Commander of the NSW Police State Crime Command’s Drug & Firearms Squad, Detective Acting Superintendent Richard Puffett, said Crime Stoppers tips can often set crucial investigations in motion. “When you ‘dial in a dealer’ or report suspicious firearm activity, you’re helping police stop crime in its tracks,” Det A/Supt Puffett said. “Crime Stoppers isn’t just a hotline; it’s a lifeline for safer communities.”Newcastle City Police District Commander, Superintendent Kylie Endemi APM: "Every tip, no matter how small, can make a significant difference. The valuable information shared with us through Crime Stoppers has led to numerous breakthroughs, and by working together and sharing information, we can create a safer environment for everyone."Crime Stoppers will be visiting around 10 locations across Sydney and regional NSW to talk to the community about reporting and how important it is in preventing and solving crime.To assist the community, Crime Stoppers has compiled information to help the community with reporting what they know as well as crime prevention tips to keep themselves, their family and the community safe. The information can be downloaded https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/ZFold_Crime-Reporting-Roadshow-Campaign-Flyer_A4_WEB.pdf.

Premier Chris Minns has gone hard on illegal Pine Street squatters at today's media briefing in Sydney and a solution is now imminent as he declared the houses will be removed.The Premier said he was unaware of the illegal squatters moving into reclaimed NSW Government properties."Now the government has spent $900 million of taxpayer funds to remove people from very flood-prone areas of the Lismore region. These are flood-prone low-lying areas where the household elected to move out, to move to higher ground, and the house would effectively be condemned so that the community could be safe and we could reduce the exposure of affected communities and families in the event of a natural disaster."Look, unbeknownst to me in all candour, I wasn't aware that we were currently in court trying to execute eviction notices on some members of those communities when Tropical Cyclone Alfred emerged in the last week. This is a completely unacceptable set of circumstances. It's not tolerable to have so many people located in flood-prone land still in danger, and have SES personnel volunteers have to go and check on those households, check on those communities to keep them safe."We bought those houses so that we could keep communities safe, so that no one would live there, and to have squatters move in off the back of that is completely unacceptable. So I've made a decision in conjunction with the Reconstruction Authority, that we are going to demolish those houses."We're going to make sure that these communities are safe and we can't have an intolerable situation where large numbers of people are in harm's way after New South Wales taxpayers have spent millions of dollars trying to make the community safer. I can't have a situation where, when a tropical cyclone or the next flood hits Lismore, we are checking on houses that should be vacant as a result of millions of dollars that we've already spent that will take place in the coming weeks, but it's absolutely necessary that we do it."We're not trying to exacerbate the housing issues in the Northern Rivers. Indeed, we've spent millions and millions of dollars on homelessness services in the Northern Rivers, as well as emergency accommodation and social housing as part of the New South Wales government's budget. But the housing problems are not going to be solved by moving people into flood-prone land. We have to draw a line in the sand here, and that means demolishing those houses and ensuring that we can get on with life in the Northern Rivers."As most of the Lismore community knows, this has been an ongoing situation that has escalated in the last twelve months.The Premier was asked why he was not informed of the situation by Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, his response was:"We have many conversations with Janelle. You'd appreciate that when you've got a massive natural disaster in the community, you're talking about all kinds of things, financial assistance, you're also speaking about recovery programs, ou're also speaking about businesses in downtown Lismore getting back on their feet. I mean, I'm just being candid about what I was aware of. I had no idea there was such an extensive network of squatters in the community."It's subsequently been brought to my attention that there were meetings that took place between the squatters collective and government officials about how to get them out of these houses, including having them jump the queue for social housing and jump to the front of the queue. And that's completely unacceptable.(A Pine Street squatter meeting on February 12 this year when the RA was to turn the water off)"I can't have a situation where we're putting people in harm's way who are on the flood plain after New South Wales taxpayers have paid money to get them out of those houses. We have to take action."As locals know, the NSWRA (Reconstruction Authority) had met a number of times with the illegal squatters, and even tried to turn the water off permanently with police in attendance, with no result to remove the squatters.Premier Minns said he thought the meetings were with the RA, and ultimately accepted blame for the situation."But you have to understand the RA is responsible for thousands of things, particularly when you've got a complicated natural disaster like we've seen in Lismore. So you know, it's about a balancing act, but also about information flows. It's not their responsibility. It's my responsibility to be on top of the latest information from Lismore."I know that Mal (Lanyon) and the team would have been working hard to get that community up on their feet, but look, if I had my time again, we wouldn't have a tropical cyclone where we've got so many squatters who are in harm's way. It's obviously ridiculous."As we know from previous meetings and unsuccessful execution of plans to remove the illegal squatters, there will be more than likely a confrontation between the NSW Government and the illegal squatters on Pine Street.