Flood victims outraged after eligibility for home buyback scheme halved

Flood victims on the NSW Northern Rivers are angry after a the number of properties eligible for a home buyback scheme promised eight months ago was halved.

Around 2000 properties were meant to be eligible for the scheme, but after publicly released hazard maps - which some have called "outdated" - showed which regions should be prioritised, that number was cut to just 1100.

"There's only a handful of people that will now be getting any assistance," Lismore local Katie Davis told Today.

Katie spoke previously with Today about what she's gone through following the floods after she was stranded for hours on her roof waiting for help.

For neighbour Yolanta Higgins, she said the only help she's received has been from friends and family in the community and she - like many others - feels left in the lurch by the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation who are overseeing the buyback scheme.

"Obviously we're still living really rough in our house," she said.

"We still have no walls, we have no lights and I've got two kids who have been uprooted from their school - we're at a a loss and we're so disappointed."

Lismore Mayor, Steve Krieg told Today he spoke with NSW Premier Chris Minns yesterday, but he wasn't aware of this latest blow to the flood victims.

"These poor people who have been through the absolute ringer are treated like a number," he said.

"These data-driven flood maps have evaporated every ounce of hope these people have had and have been waiting for and unfortunately, our private sector has done a lot more in flood recovery than what our government sector has."

Today reached out to the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation who provided the following response:

"Home Buyback, Home Raising and Home Retrofit offers are being prioritised using new flood mapping and analysis to address the greatest risk to life under most flood scenarios.

Based on the most up to date flood mapping and analysis across the region, the NRRC is currently prioritising close to 1,100 Home Buyback offers, along with another 340 Home Raising or Home Retrofit offers – representing the largest program of its kind in Australia.

This is life changing for the people of the Northern Rivers and the fairest and most equitable use of the available funding across the region. Homes in all seven LGAs have been prioritised based on the greatest risk to life in most flood scenarios, with the most homes in Lismore prioritised, followed by Tweed.

The NRRC remains on track to inform all homeowners of their prioritisation by mid-2023.

The Resilient Homes Program has $700 million in funding and the NRRC is currently working within the budget guidelines. The NRRC will continue to deal with the Australian and NSW governments to find solutions for funding requirements."

See more of what Steve, Yolanta and Katie had to say in the video above

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