Resilient Homes Program frequently asked questions

Answers to frequently asked questions about the Resilient Homes Program.

Who is eligible for the Resilient Homes Program?

To be eligible, you must meet the following criteria:

  • You are a homeowner (owner-occupier or landlord) of a residence (house/unit/duplex) in the Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley or Tweed LGAs (Local Government Areas) prior to the February and March 2022 floods.  
  • You are the homeowner of a residence that was either 
    • Directly damaged by flood waters in the February and March 2022 floods, OR
    • Damaged as a result of landslip caused by the February and March 2022 floods.
  • Your home is a residence (house/unit/duplex) not used primarily for business purposes  
  • You meet the impact eligibility criteria relevant to each program stream.
     
What is the Resilient Homes Program?

The Resilient Homes Program is part of Resilient Homes Fund. The Resilient Homes Program is providing financial support for resilient rebuilding with flood hardened materials, house raising and voluntary buybacks to build greater resilience to future flooding within impacted communities.

What activities will be funded under the Resilient Homes Program?

The Resilient Homes Program will offer eligible homeowners one of the three available measures, based on expert property assessments, flood impact severity data, safety risks and potential future flood levels:

  • Home buybacks – the homeowner receives a payment for the purchase of their house and land, or
  • Home raising – funding is committed to elevate liveable areas above a property-specific flood level, or
  • Home retrofit – funding is committed to retrofit and/or repair liveable areas to improve the resilience of these areas for future floods.
When will the Resilient Homes Program start and what is the process?

The NSW Government will start contacting eligible Northern Rivers homeowners impacted by the NSW Severe Weather and Flooding from 22 February 2022 onwards from November 2022. 

Based on the scale of the work involved, access to labour and materials, it is anticipated the Resilient Homes Program will be funded and delivered in phases over approximately five years. 

From November the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation will commence customer outreach. If you are already engaged in the Flood Property Assessment Program, delivered by NSW Public Works and Johns Lyng Group, then you will be contacted automatically. 

If you are not engaged in the Flood Property Assessment Program you do not need to apply. Instead please submit your contact details in the contract registration form above and you will be contacted by the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation. 

After contact has been made, eligible customers will be taken through a Home Assessment to confirm the most-appropriate resilience funding for the affected residence. This process will be staged.

I have applied for another government building grant, am I still eligible for the Resilient Homes Program?

Yes, you can apply for the Resilient Homes Program as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. You can apply for eligible works that are not covered by another government grant or insurance.

Can I apply for the Resilient Homes Program if I have already or am in the process of carrying out repairs on my flood affected property?

This will not affect your ability to apply under the Resilient Homes Program, provided you are eligible.

Talk to your builder about your options if you wish to include resilience measures in repairs underway. Additional resilience design guides for homeowners are being developed.

What do I do if I already have a completed or underway property assessment under the NSW Public Works Flood Property Assessment Program?

If you are already engaged in the NSW Public Works Flood Property Assessment Program, and your property assessment is completed or underway you will be contacted automatically. 

What do I do if I am not already engaged in the NSW Public Works Flood Property Assessment Program?

If you are not engaged in the Flood Property Assessment Program you do not need to apply. Instead please submit your contact details in the contract registration form above and you will be contacted by the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation.

How does the Resilient Homes Fund address the recommendations of the NSW Independent Flood Inquiry report?

The Resilient Homes Fund addresses key recommendations of NSW Independent Flood Inquiry Report, including:

  • Commencing a phased program to migrate people off the highest-risk areas of the Lismore and other Northern Rivers floodplains, through a significantly expanded voluntary house purchase scheme.
  • Providing fair and adequate compensation for landowners wishing to relocate from high-risk flood-impacted areas through house buybacks.
  • Enables new homes to be located away from high-risk areas, or to be raised or retrofit to increase the likelihood of withstanding a future flood event.
     
Who can I contact to find out more?

For more information you can write to the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation at info@nrrc.nsw.gov.au.

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