Future use of buyback land | Resilient Homes Program
How we are managing future use of buyback land to support community recovery.
Home buybacks are part of the Resilient Homes Program and involve the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) buying back certain homes in locations where there is a severe risk of future flood damage and a high risk to life and safety for households.
As buyback homes are progressively removed, RA is working with stakeholders including local councils and communities on the future use of vacant buyback land. This includes areas where there are concentrations of buyback home such as Lismore, South Murwillumbah, Burringbar, Kyogle, Woodburn and Casino.
While buyback land cannot be used for housing, planning for the future use will consider a range of community, environmental, cultural, commercial or industrial uses, where these comply with relevant planning controls and flood risk management frameworks.
The overarching goal is to achieve the best possible outcome for each Resilient Homes Program Buyback home and site and to manage this process in a way that supports community recovery.
South Murwillumbah Master Plan
Tweed Shire Council and RA are working together on a resilience-focused master plan for the South Murwillumbah flood buyback precinct and have now appointed specialist consultants to lead the consultation and design process for the area.
The engagement will include workshops with residents, landowners and local businesses to explore opportunities for open space, recreation, connectivity, environmental restoration, and other compatible non-residential uses. Community consultation is expected to start in coming months.
Please subscribe to South Murwillumbah Master Plan | Your Say Tweed for updates and key project notifications.
Lismore Precinct Planning: Future use of buyback land
During 2026 and 2027, RA and Lismore City Council (LCC) will work together with the community to explore future uses of buyback land in four Lismore precincts: Lismore Centre, North Lismore, South Lismore and East Lismore.
Engagement will begin in mid-2026. All program information will be viable on the Lismore City Council Have Your Say page.
While the buyback land is no longer suitable for residential uses, decisions on how the land will be used in future is still to be determined. There is more than 50 hectares of buyback land across Lismore combined - the equivalent of about 70 soccer fields, though it is not all side-by-side. RA and LCC want to work through planning provisions, flood risk, opportunities and ideas with the community before making any decisions.
Community members will be invited to share ideas, interests and concerns on how the land should be used. There will be plenty of in-person and online opportunities to ask questions and provide ideas throughout 2026.
We will update this page with information as it is released. You can also:
- Subscribe to newsletters on Council's website, tick 'Lismore Precinct Planning: Future us of buyback land'
- Contact Lismore City Council on (02) 6625 0500 for enquiries on the project
- Subscribe to RA's newsletter to receive updates about Northern Rivers programs and projects.
Fact sheets and guidance
Find resources about the Resilient Homes Program in our resource library
