After seven years behind the counter and two major floods, John Spence says he’s ready to close his Lismore shop.
Mr Spence says his former collectables store, The Penny Man on Molesworth Street, lost between five and six million dollars as a result of the town’s recent devasting flood.
When asked by Bay FM’s Community Newsroom [CN] last week if he would rebuild, Mr Spence said, ‘can we win the lotto? No’.
The former shopkeeper said he assumed 70% of Lismore wouldn’t open up again, but comments from other property owners suggested opinion over rebuilding Lismore’s CBD was diverse.
Art Deco arcade shop ceiling revealed, owner keen to re-open
Lismore’s Star Court Arcade was built around the 1920’s in the iconic Art Deco style.
When CN visited last week, the ceiling had partially come away to reveal the original pressed tin.
Star Court Arcade Strata Chair Robyn Smith was excited about the discovery and optimistic for the building’s future.
Ms Smith said she’d met with the Star Court committee to help the strata manager get common areas ‘up and running as quickly as possible’.
She said the committee wanted to get the arcade’s shops ready for trade.
‘We want the town to survive,’ said Ms Smith.
Up to a year before Lismore business as usual, predicts property owner
Lynne Katschke and her husband Adrian Katschke owned the Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop premises and an office in the Strand Arcade.
‘It’s a huge job,’ Mrs Katschke said, ‘not only do we have to clean up our own two premises, but we are also responsible for getting the Strand Arcade up and running as well’.
‘We’ve had lots of help, lots of angels who have turned up to help,’ Mrs Katschke said.
But the flood-affected property owner said it would be up to a year before Lismore businesses ran as usual and that the council could do more to mitigate flood impacts.
‘There needs to be a town meeting so that people can put forward their proposals with all levels of government and the local people,’ Mrs Katschke said.
The Lismore local said she wanted the government to listen to people that had ‘been here for 20 years and know what the situation is like’.
*Kate Payne is a Bay FM Community Newsroom reporter
A town meeting is a ‘must’. If not people will leave in droves – & I’m not
speaking of new residents. First up, engineers are needed to create
the changes. No more repetitions of the 50s era.
We live up the creek were Nimbin gets its water,which by the way is no more.The amount of water going past us was amazing,I was warning my daughter and her man who were saving people in their boat in Lismore just how much water was still coming,I was thinking if there were sensers in the creeks that flow to Lismore,a bit like the ones in the ocean that predict scunamis at least there might be some warning for next time
This is a fantastic idea! Brilliant. How do you do it? I’m going to cal the SES immediately and let them know, it could change everything. What have these scientists and safety professionals been doing? Seems so simple an answer to so many problems. Samantha for local hero Australia Day honour nominations. Samantha rocks.
In my opinion the decision is one of a policy type that should be made by government after looking at the science and considering alternatives which may well mean less heartache next time around. Increasing the levy does not solve the problem in fact it makes it worse for others.
This “local knowledge” argument is rubbish.
Hydrology is a science, and the facts ate not changed by virtue of any of us being around for any length of time.
The hydrological facts are:
1. New higher floods are always possible in a floodplain (that was just proven).
2. The existing flood record is way too high for any levee to be relied upon to protect even one side of Lismore.
3. Floods have already occurred that mean it is a massive risk, to both life and property (and marine environment) to continue rebuilding in the floodplains. This is on top of number 1; the fact that this risk was always there.
From the facts, one can develop the opinion that the massive risk is an intolerable one and an irresponsible one to take. I certainly do, and so do many others.
One could argue to let people make their own choices, but:
1. They won’t accept the consequences when the inevitable property damage occurs; and
2. Many can’t be trusted to evacuate when issued an evacuation warning by the SES – and they take this risk with their own children’s lives, in many cases.
So, I don’t believe people should have this choice, not in perpetuity.
Lismore needs an end date, after which all houses in the floodplains need to be vacated. 2032 or so.
Plus, Lismore needs to stop asking for handouts and campaign for an exit package process – one that includes use of taxpayer funds to get people out of the floodplains and to build at least 1000 units of social housing as part of an overall process to build residential areas in the hills around the floodplain. Not on the red soil plateaus, on the moderately-sloping hill areas
I mostly agree with you. I have family in Lismore and surrounds and many of them can’t see how the cbd can be rebuild, at least not down on the flats like it is. If we want a town to exist in the area then houses should only be permitted outside of the flood zone, particularly public or rental housing.
On top of your hydrology arguments, we need to consider that climate change is going to make la Nina wetter, we will have more floods like this, it’s not a “1 in a 100/1000” year event.
I don’t think the people are asking for handouts though, I think they are just asking for their governments to make good decisions, help them to relocate or rebuild in better areas. Many people probably also need the science explained to them so they can make better decisions. Unfortunately the “Australia has always been like this” brigade are holding back real action and change in response to our climate become more hostile.
Carly, lots of people are asking for handouts, sadly.
Including the Greens Party, which wants the taxpayer to bail out all rebuilding costs in floodplains Australia-wide. See last week’s report in the Echo about this
I agree.
We need to build back higher … If we open shops now by repairing the premises nothing will change … We need to put the entire core four streets in stilts with very wide vaerandas over looking a huge town square Europe style. The ‘streets’ would be 16 metres high beneath could be ample parking and removable shops markets music playground meeting place … Or buy us out and move the city … BUT don’t do the same thing and expect this won’t happen again
Flood plain sadly can’t completely be protected 😢
Build higher ground flooding will always happen in Lismore senseless to rebuild move it up the hills where there’s no flooding be save makes sense and why on earth would anyone rebuild there again for it to just happen in the future again which it will Goonellabah Lismore Heights has plenty of land the answers simple
Agree with Mandy. An elevated boardwalk style shopping precinct would allow us to remain in this location. We just can’t pretend that this won’t happen again and again. We need the best and brightest minds and much consultation.