Four years after the devastating 2022 Northern Rivers floods stripped hundreds of families of their homes, flood-free land is now on sale, and those who lost the most will get first pick.
The NSW Reconstruction Authority has officially launched sales at the Mount Pleasant estate in Goonellabah, a 23-lot development built specifically to give flood buyback participants a path to safer ground. It is a moment many in the Lismore region have been waiting for since handing over their flood-damaged properties to the government.
Buyback participants who registered with the Resilient Lands Program will be first in line to purchase, followed by other buyback participants. Any lots left over will then be released to the open market.
The estate offers a mix of housing options designed to suit different needs and budgets. There are 18 individual land lots ranging from 559 square metres to 1300 square metres, six one-and-two-bedroom community title units on one large lot, and four renovated heritage weatherboard homes relocated from the floodplain. The authority says the cottages have been refurbished to show how traditional Northern Rivers architecture can be safely adapted to higher ground.
Prices were set by an independent valuer to reflect current market conditions. Eligible homeowners will receive a sales information pack this week with details on how to participate.
The Goonellabah subdivision is a priority site under the NSW Government’s $100 million Resilient Lands Program. The final masterplan was shaped in large part by feedback from the people it is meant to serve, with buyback participants helping to guide decisions on the mix of vacant lots and community housing.
Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said the community had been waiting for this moment. “I am pleased to see that land is now available to purchase,” said Minister Saffin. “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.
“Prioritising buyback participants is about making sure those who lost so much are given the very first choice in this early development in Goonellabah.”
NSW Reconstruction Authority Chief Executive Officer Kate Fitzgerald said the agency was working to ensure the Resilient Homes and Resilient Lands programs were moving in step. “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,” Ms Fitzgerald said.
“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.”
For more information on the Mount Pleasant estate visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/departments-and-agencies/nsw-reconstruction-authority/our-work/programs-and-funding/resilient-lands-program/mount-pleasant-estate-goonellabah
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