In what the government has described as a step forward for the region’s housing recovery, flood-affected homeowners will get the first opportunity to buy into Goonellabah’s Mount Pleasant estate.
Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said on Saturday, ‘I am pleased to see that land is now available to purchase. It provides an opportunity for buyback participants. I know our community has been waiting for the release of this first package of new, flood-free land at Mount Pleasant.
‘The opening of sales today is a tangible outcome for our region’s recovery,’ she said. ‘Prioritising buyback participants is about making sure those who lost so much are given the very first choice in this early development in Goonellabah.’
Priority
The NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) says it is prioritising owner-occupiers who accepted a buyback and registered in the Resilient Lands Program which was established following the 2022 floods. Many of these prospective buyers have already helped shape the estate’s masterplan.
The final masterplan strongly reflects feedback from Resilient Homes Program participants, balancing a desire for vacant lots for new builds with community-title homes and refurbished floodplain cottages.
Prices have been pre-determined by an independent valuer to reflect the market. Buyback participants registered with the Resilient Lands Program will be given the first opportunity to purchase the land, followed by other buyback participants. Any remaining land will then be offered for sale on the open market.
Options
The 23-lot development features a mix of housing options designed to suit diverse community needs:
- 18 individual land lots ranging in size from 559m² to 1300m².
- 6-one-and-two-bedroom community title units (on one large lot).
- 4 relocated historic weatherboard homes, renovated by the NSW Reconstruction Authority.
- Authority to showcase how traditional Northern Rivers architecture can be safely adapted to higher ground (across four of the lots).
The Goonellabah subdivision has been described as a key priority site in the Northern Rivers recovery pipeline, funded under the NSW government’s $100 million Resilient Lands Program.
The site, with its existing infrastructure, was identified early as a potential location for homeowners. RA worked closely with buyback participants and the local community to understand housing preferences, with strong support emerging for both relocating existing homes from the floodplain and building new homes to suit individual needs.
Eligible homeowners will be contacted directly to receive a sales information pack this week detailing how to participate in the Mount Pleasant sales process.
More information is available here.
Integrated approach
NSW Reconstruction Authority Chief Executive Officer Kate Fitzgerald said, ‘We’re taking a more integrated approach to recovery, with a strong focus on aligning the Resilient Homes and Resilient Lands programs so they work together to support homeowners’ next steps.
‘These updated timelines reflect that coordination and the scale of delivery still underway across the Northern Rivers,’ she said.
‘A key priority is ensuring land supply and housing pathways are progressing in step. I’m closely overseeing the delivery of the Resilient Lands Program to support relocation options, while we continue to move buybacks and resilient works forward.’
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