About 60 people packed into the Lismore Workers Sports Club on Monday night to watch 10 flood buyback homes go under the hammer, with all properties sold for between $5,000 and $42,000.
The auction, conducted by Wal Murray Lismore, drew 34 registered bidders – including four by phone – and achieved a 100 per cent clearance rate, with total sales reaching $266,100.
Since December 2024, about 140 buyback properties have been offered for sale throughout the Northern Rivers, attracting interest from buyers across Australia.
The homes, originally purchased by the NSW Reconstruction Authority under the $880 million Resilient Homes Program, must be relocated to flood-free land by the end of 2026. The program is jointly funded by the NSW and Australian governments through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
Proceeds from the sales, after costs, are reinvested into the Resilient Homes Program to support more flood-affected residents.
Monday night’s results included:
- 141 Dawson Street, Lismore – $27,000
- 157 Dawson Street, Lismore – $29,500
- 35 Ewing Street, Lismore – $42,000
- 25 Junction Street, East Lismore – $32,000
- 25 Charles Street, South Lismore – $40,000
- 3 Webster Street, South Lismore – $17,000
- 4 Crown Lane, South Lismore – $5,000
- 38 Ostrom Street, South Lismore – $23,000
- 15 Second Avenue, East Lismore – $18,500
- 9 Barnes Avenue, South Lismore – $32,100
The auction attracted builders, young families, and buyers looking to relocate homes to rural areas.
Previous sales through the program have ranged from $1 to $200,000, earning a reputation as one of the country’s most accessible pathways to home ownership while contributing to the Northern Rivers’ flood recovery.
NSW Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said the program was giving homes a second life.
“It brings me great joy to see these homes from our community repurposed for young families and first-home buyers, giving them the keys to a safer future on higher ground,” Saffin said.
“These homes are part of mine and the wider community’s shared history, and this program has always been about people. Those who received a buyback, those giving those homes a second life.”
NSW Reconstruction Authority Executive Director for the Northern Rivers Adaptation Division Kristie Clarke said the focus for the year ahead was on delivery.
“This year is about delivery: rebuilding, relocating, and renewing communities so the Northern Rivers is safer, stronger, and more resilient for the future,” Clarke said.
“Around a thousand homes will be bought back by the end of 2026, and we’re making a final push for 600 more households to strengthen their homes through Resilient Measures grants by mid-2027.
“As a result of these goals, we’re calling on builders and construction experts to join one of the biggest home resilience and relocation efforts ever undertaken in Australia on the back of these successful auctions.”
The next flood buyback auction will be conducted by First National Real Estate at the Murwillumbah Services Club on 17 March. More information is available at: https://www.fnmurwillumbah.com.au/pages/real-estate/relocatable-homes.
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