The 2022 floods inundated Lismore South Public School and the Ngulliboo Jarjums Preschool and badly damaged both facilities. The overall flood level for Lismore was 14.43m and the flood depth at the school was 3.32m according to the Lismore City Council’s flood information.
Following consultation with the local community and other stakeholders including the NSW State Emergency Service, the Lismore City Council, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure and the NSW Reconstruction Authority the decision was made to rebuild the school and preschool at its original location on Phyllis Street.
‘This is an important milestone for the school community and it is testament to the hard work and careful planning involved in getting our school back up and running,’ Member for Lismore and Parliamentary Secretary for Disaster Recovery Janelle Saffin said.
The project will include a whole-of-school rebuild, with a new school hall, canteen, Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) space, a new administration area, new classrooms, three support classrooms and rebuild of the Ngulliboo Jarjums Preschool, which was also inundated by floodwaters.
Lismore South Public School Principal Larissa Polak said, ‘I am delighted to hear our Lismore South school community will be returning to its permanent home, in modern classrooms and with new facilities. Our school has shown incredible resilience over the last two years, and the news our school will be built back in a more flood-resistant building will give our students even more enthusiasm to learn.’
Building above the flood level
All of the buildings will be raised 1.2 metres higher than flood levels expected during a one in 500-year flood, and 0.5 metres higher than the flood levels reached in 2022, to ensure the school is resilient against future flooding. The raised buildings will also provide valuable undercover learning and play areas.
‘The Lismore community has been through a difficult time since the 2022 floods, and rebuilding this school will provide certainty for the Lismore South school community,’ said Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car.
Find out more
The community is invited to attend an information session to learn more about the project and next steps. The session will be held on Wednesday, 20 March from 3pm – 5pm in the Lismore South Public School Hall.
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