Lismore and other areas in the Northern Rivers are doing it very, very tough. Sanctioned focus groups that can work together are what is going to get regional areas up and running again.
During Council’s April meeting, Cr Darlene Cook asked to move an urgency motion in relation to the creation of a Recovery and Reconstruction Commission.
Cr Cook said the matter was urgent because the longer there is a delay getting one overarching authority for the reconstruction of the city, the more likely we are going to be sitting with our hands out, begging for funds – for months or years, as we were after 2017. ‘I believe it is vitally urgent that we get one centralised authority that can drive the reconstruction and I believe that it’s very urgent that this be implemented as soon as possible.
Mayor Steve Krieg agrees
The Mayor agreed with Cr Cook that it was indeed urgent. ‘This is something that I’ve been listening to for many, many weeks now from the Member for Lismore, Ms Saffin, and I’d like to see this progress as well. I think it’s urgent as well, given the timeframes of things that are coming through.’
Cr Cook said that history has shown that it is the speedy establishment of one overarching central authority to take charge of the entire process of recovery and reconstruction, that provides certainty of funding and program outcomes for councils, business and the community.
‘These centralised recovery and reconstruction agencies were established in Darwin after cyclone Tracey, Victoria after the Ash Wednesday fires and Christchurch after their earthquake to oversee the rebuilds of entire cities and recovery of regional areas.
One central authority
‘By having one central authority, with the delegations to get the job done and the budget to achieve those outcomes, was the only way those areas recovered in a short period of time.
Cr Cook said that by having an open conversation with local communities, the residents’ wishes and visions for the future of their cities were also considered and were implemented as part of the redesigns and reconstruction efforts.
‘Today, six weeks after the February flood, we are enmeshed in a barrage of red tape with so many competing government agencies offering a range of grants and loans, with differing qualification requirements. People are confused – there are hundreds of questions on social media from ordinary people who are facing increased trauma as they try to jump through the bureaucratic hoops.
‘We also have thousands of people who do not know if their homes are condemned, if they can get funds to rebuild, if there will be a voluntary buy-back scheme, if housing will be provided elsewhere, endless questions Mr Mayor that I cannot answer; the community agencies cannot answer; and it seems the recovery coordinator, Mal Lanyon, either cannot or will not answer. And that delay in getting responses is why hundreds of people have packed up and left the city, looking elsewhere for a new home.
A bipartisan funding package
Cr Cook said all of this would be alleviated with one centralised authority established as a matter of urgency to deal with the entire process. We also need a bipartisan funding package for the reconstruction of the city and region, such as has been recently announced for Queensland.
‘There is a petition circulating that the Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin will be tabling in the NSW parliament that has nearly 19,000 signatures, calling for such an authority to be established with the funding to get the job done.
‘Here we are in one of the worst natural disasters this country has ever seen, a disaster that General Sir Peter Cosgrove said two weeks ago, was similar to, or even worse, than the aftermath of Cyclone Tracey. And Minister Littleproud recently said in the Commonwealth Parliament that as there would be many more disasters of this kind, any funding provided needed to be made competitive, on a grant application basis.
‘That attitude councillors, is just so wrong.
Competitive grant applications
‘It is the attitude that left Lismore fighting against our neighbouring councils through competitive grant applications after the 2017 floods, justifying every cent we spent to repair our infrastructure – it took us five years to get the final payments for that disaster – Councillors, we must not go through that again.
‘This motion tonight lets us inform the Premier that we will not accept being drip-fed small grants here and there. We will not fight our neighbouring councils for a share of limited grant funds.
‘This motion is about rebuilding this city and region. It is not about flood mitigation or attempting to pre-empt the findings of the CSIRO inquiry. It is about urgently putting roofs over the heads of our citizens; rebuilding people’s homes, finding land and constructing new housing options within the LGA.
‘It is about getting the funds to rebuild our roads and bridges, stabilise landslips, repair our own buildings and damaged community infrastructure in parks and sports fields.
‘It’s about restoring the business community, getting this city back on its feet so we can move forward with confidence.
‘I ask that you support this motion.’
Janelle Saffin MP
Cr Krieg said that he had been speaking to Janelle Saffin MP and the new entity would be a commission that has direct links with the government to enable much more streamlined funding applications, grant applications and help for community members to access grants.
‘Its sole purpose is to cut the red tape which we all seem to be drowning in at the moment, which is why I’m happy to see it as an urgency motion because seven weeks after the biggest flood in our history, we’re still fighting these processes,’ he said.
‘The sooner we get a commission to get through that, the better will be. In my opinion, throwing council support behind this commission is hopefully just another lever to see it progress forward sooner rather than later.’
Cr Cook’s urgency motion was put to the vote and was passed by all councillors apart from Cr Big Rob.
A good idea to short-circuit the bureaucratic round-about regarding aid provision.
Bravo for effort and intent !
But it pays to remember that disaster-aid procedures are firmly established in both federal and State law.
So well-meaning/virtue-signaling interference can be counter-productive, as it may lengthen the established recovery-procedure sequence.
Where’s Resilience NSW?
Copied off its website: “Resilience NSW – Helping communities rebuild and recover after natural disasters like floods, droughts and bushfires.
RESILIENCE NSW LEADS disaster and emergency efforts from prevention to recovery.” (My emphasis.)
He’s a clue guys, it’s about drainage.
Just cause water looks like it flows well somewhere, don’t mean it does.
Get a really good hydrologist.
Its called a floodplain, for a reason, yeah.
Then no one should be complaining. The only reason to build on a flood plain is if you want to get flooded.
That’s why I built on a hill, or “Island” as my neighbours sometimes have reason to call it.
Chris, a friend bought a house out of the known flood zone, where it has never flooded, she was on a bit of a hill as well. You need to check how high your hill is, because there will be bigger floods, and additionally I’d suggest you get a flood cupboard of food because your hill may become an island for an extended period where youd need some of the same support – and a bit of compassion wouldnt go astray as people with not much money buy and rent the cheaper houses on flood liable land, because it is there and thats all they can afford, even if it should not have been developed in the first place.
Did you read the whole thread first?
This flood was much smaller than 2011. Back then 75% of Queensland’s land mass went under water. Far less of NSW was under water this time.
The server flooding was a highly localised event.
As for me, I have plenty of food and 2 boats. I also have a property on the other side of the range to evacuate my family too.
If you didn’t figure out, I was making fun of people saying “flood plain” to the drainage issue that even the local councils are now recognising.
But thanks for providing feelies instead of solutions.
Bloody hell. These people are desperate , they’re begging . Where’s the empathy. None.. Where’s the fix up,, none. They’re looking down the barrel of a cold wet winter with nowhere to live. Where’s the demountable mine and building site buildings fully plumbed for each resident that needs one, for free. Bought in on a semi. And pick it up easy before the next flood . Bingo,, there’s your fix. And bring in Peter Cosgrove , he’ll sort it out real quick. Littleproud ,, not much to be proud of with that statement , passing the buck,, no empathy ,, not really a country bloke is he ? Country blokes from western nsw came to Lisnore to help their neighbours 800 ks away. Now that’s a real Aussie country bloke,, not some pretend suburbian cowboy.
Go for it Darling,, legendary . That’s your new name . She’s a darl !
Of course the mug you voted in, big rob, opposed it.
Drainage involves the water going somewhere Chris, so when that quantity of water comes down it has no where to go. It is not that simple.
My point is where ever it goes, we should help it get there faster. I didn’t realise the water sit still for months or years while it slowly evaporates.
Common sense from the Labor Party ( Cr Cook and J Saffin MLA) and the new Mayor.
Can’t do capitalism won’t fix it; only a public authority with the power to do so can .
Again I say – I’m with Darlene & Phil & the rest of you. It’s noted
BIG ROB OPPOSED IT. Maybe he ought to rethink that stance.
Sucking up to his overlords in the nats. Big snob. What about hogan , what’s he doing. Pretty much the same only it sounds nicer on the radio when he says it. Hogans heroes , Not. ….. Barnys lackies.. Pauline n Clive’s buddies. .. What is it about the politicians that live in the country but then they don’t help other country people .. Just pretend to. Sucking up to sco mo and dutton . And howard , still in the background , pulling the strings along with abbott.
Janelle , she’s brilliant isn’t she. What a nice woman , working for the benefit of the locals . No wonder she keeps getting voted in. Bipartisan , they all recognise that she’s good for the area. Hogan could learn something off her style if he wants to survive. Just read that the gov, not sure if that’s state or federal , is giving heaps of shipping containers to be set up up the hill in gonellabah Alston . On a few ovals . 2000 of them all packed in. . I guess that’s a good start. Better than nothing. 2000 for 350 mill. Works out at 175 grand each. It’s a bit rich isn’t it. Basically a hot stinky box. A tent with steel walls. And cold , very cold when it’s cold. What’s a second hand shipping container cost . Maybe 5 to 6 grand ? Maybe a bit more. Then to fit them out. Maybe another 10 grand , maybe a bit more. So where’s the rest of the money going . In some beurocrats pocket. Or so called charity’s pocket . Where’s the other 150 grand going. ? Paper work ? Consultants fees ? Prawns and lobbies and Dom perringyon for staff parties ? Where’s it going? Doesn’t make much sense does it. Earlier I was talking about demountables. One in each backyard of the Lismore flooded house that needed fixing up. So the locals who were staying had a place to live while fixing it up.Just give them one each . So they’ve got spare accomodation for years to come. You see them on large building sites and mining sites . The main office on site. They’re about as long as a semi and about 4 to 5 metres wide. Usually 2 ft or so off the ground on stumps . Wooden floor , wooden or steel wall frames . An A frame roof . Villa board wall cladding . With Windows and doors. Totally air tight and warm inside and off the ground. Like a normal house , high ceilings. . Fairly well insulated . Come fully plumbed with a big greeting area i’d guess you’d call it. Where the secretary sits. Up the end of this big long room is a kitchen bench with sink and cupboards up and down . . Good size long kitchen. Through a closed door from the kitchen is a bathroom with shower and dunny. Up the other end is a door that goes to a corridor with 3 small office rooms with doors on each office . Reasonably sound proofed . A perfect self contained 3 bedroom house with a big lounge room / kitchen , all as big as a semi . That can pick it up and drop it off with a little crane helping . Simply pick it up before the next flood is due . . All you gotta do is build the stumps ( piers ) . I got a friend up near Springbrook , numbinbah , up the hill from muwullumbah , on a few acres, he showed me his place . It was 2 of these joined together to form a T. So he had a sheltered courtyard on either side . He bought them from the Goldie . Old construction site buildings . For about 10 to 15 grand each . Plus he had to pay another 10 to 15 to get it trucked up the hill and put on the stumps. But that’s it. A very cheap comfortable warm building. ThAt was in 2015. Point is , who’d want to live in a hot and cold steel tent packed out in rows on top of each other ( like an Easter caravan park ) 15 mins up the hill from the house that your trying to fix . I’d prefer it in my back yard , in my own space , away from the crowds , so I could relax when I wanted to, and work when I wanted to, dodging in and out of showers and storms , when I wanted to. Much more convenient on site . Heaps more. And better for my family too. What do I do, leave them up there in the tin box in packed outs ville , like quarantine . All playing happy family’s together , I doubt it. Where do you think they’d rather be ? So, keep your tin boxes on the footy field . and give us some decent demountables in our own back yards . So what if you gotta wipe out the fence for a while . I doubt the neighbours would complain. And maybe a few fat cats will have to do without their bonuses .
I keep telling people here that I’m not long winded.
Thanks Phil. A little sanity is needed. You’ve read the creeping-cranks right.