With the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC) now subsumed into the newly formed Reconstruction Authority (RA), there still remains confusion and uncertainty from flood-affected residents who were promised funding.
Additionally, new mapping presented by the government cut eligibility for almost all of those flood-affected applicants in Byron Shire, as it excludes the 2022 flood.
Throughout its existence, the NRRC was criticised for its poor communication and performance, as outlined by NSW Labor MP Janelle Saffin and Greens MP Tamara Smith.
As a government-run corporation it is afforded protection from public scrutiny, and is only accountable to NSW Labor ministers Paul Scully and Jihad Dib.
There are currently two petitions at www.parliament.nsw.gov.au, one of which was covered in the story Join the push for promised govt flood support.
NRRC failures
The other calls on the government to ‘Acknowledge the failure of decisions which conflict with promises to first and foremost consider risk to people’s lives; revise NRRC decision-making processes in consultation with expert data and analysis from Council and SES and others incorporating actual risk to life, health, and property; provide trauma informed training for those communicating with impacted community members; make public all information that has informed NRRC decisions; and make public full NRRC budget details’.
The petition outlines the NRRC’s failure to deliver its stated aims, which include: ‘accelerating return to normal life; prioritising community needs, reducing risk to life, 2,000 buybacks; fast tracking availability of land, expedite planning processes; prioritising house relocations over demolition and constantly promising “contact in coming weeks”.’
Risk management principles ignored
It reads, ‘Inconsistent, unreliable and contradictory contact, particularly in recent weeks, has compounded trauma causing frustration, anger, anxiety, depression and despair’.
‘The NRRC has completely ignored Sendai risk management principles, local government and SES risk assessments’.
To sign the petition, visit: Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation’s failure to make appropriate decisions for the flood people of the Far North Coast.
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