Nationals Member for Tweed Geoff Provest has welcomed a new $800 million program that will see around 2,000 Northern Rivers homeowners, devastated by this year’s floods, eligible to raise, repair, retrofit, or have their home voluntarily bought back.
The Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Fund package – jointly funded by the Federal and NSW governments – will be available to home owners across the Northern Rivers local government areas of Lismore, Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Richmond Valley, and Tweed.
In addition to the buyback provisions, the package will provide up to $100,000 for house raising, or up to $50,000 for retrofitting properties where better building standards can reduce the flood risk.
The NSW government will also spend $100 million to acquire land and open up new flood-safe locations for future development, in partnership with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation.
Mr Provest said offers to individual homeowners will be based on an extensive analysis of the February-March floods and expert advice on any subsequent disasters.
“This program offers multiple measures to help residents stay in the region in homes that can better withstand future floods,” Mr Provest said.
“We also want to ensure that people who choose to move don’t have to start their lives from scratch.”
Mr Provest said eligible homeowners will be offered one of the three available measures, based on expert property assessments, flood impact severity data, safety risks, and potential future flood levels.
The NSW Government will contact eligible homeowners shortly.
For detailed information about the program, including guidelines, eligibility and co-contributions go to www.nsw.gov.au/nrrc.