Flood impacted homeowners across the Northern Rivers and Central West will have more time to make decisions to raise or retrofit homes, with an official extension to the Resilient Homes Program timelines announced today.
Under the updated timelines, buyback settlements will continue through late 2026, while resilient measures – including home raising or retrofitting – can now be completed up to December 2028.
For homeowners considering resilience measures such as raising or retrofitting, the extension provides additional time to obtain advice, secure builders, finalise designs and complete construction, responding to the well documented capacity constraints in the Northern Rivers building market.
For those looking to relocate homes, the extension allows more time to secure land and approvals for private relocations, including the delivery of land through the Resilient Lands Program.
In Lismore, planned land releases under the Resilient Lands Program which provide first preference to Resilient Homes Program buyback participants include:
- Mount Pleasant Estate with land and houses for sale from June 2026, with first preference to Resilient Lands Program participants who are owner occupiers
- North Lismore (Dunoon Road) pre-sales in mid to late 2026, with lots ready in the second half of 2027
- East Lismore (Crawford Road), pre-sales in mid-late 2026, with Stage 1 lots ready mid-late 2027.
The NSW Reconstruction Authority is engaging program support services to help homeowners make the most of their resilient measures grant funding all the way up to the new deadline.
Homeowners will receive direct communication about the changes, along with access to information sessions and concierge support to help them understand their options and next steps. Updated information, including key dates, will be available on NSW Government channels.
The Resilient Homes Program, jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, supports flood-affected homeowners to buy back, raise or retrofit homes.
For more information on the Program. visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/resilienthomesprogram
Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said:
“Recovery is complex and involves deeply personal decisions. This extension gives more time for participants to weigh their options, secure a builder, and move forward with their recovery.
“We have listened to the community’s concerns, particularly about local building constraints. Extending these timeframes ensures government support can keep pace with what is happening on the ground.
“At the same time, I have made it clear that I will use all the tools available to accelerate the release of new, flood-free land. The community expects nothing less than safe, affordable options in their local community to relocate to.”
NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO 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.
“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.”
