The Lismore Showground is set to expand its usable space, with the NSW Government repurposing nearby flood-affected properties for parking and events.
Five homes next to the showground in North Lismore, acquired under the Resilient Homes Program, will be removed in coming weeks. The cleared land will be converted into additional parking and event space to support the popular community venue.
The NSW Reconstruction Authority is finalising lease arrangements with the Lismore Show Society, allowing the former buyback sites to be used immediately.
The move is part of a broader effort to find practical uses for land no longer suitable for housing after repeated flooding while supporting the region’s recovery.
Minister for Recovery and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin said the showground played a key role in the Northern Rivers community.
“Lismore Showground is a vital hub for the Northern Rivers, hosting major events that bring our community together,” she said.
“By removing these flood-affected properties and repurposing nearby buyback land, we are creating more functional space for the showground to grow.”
NSW Reconstruction Authority Chief Executive Kate Fitzgerald said the focus was shifting to how former residential land could benefit communities.
“The Resilient Homes Program has helped move hundreds of households out of harm’s way, and we are now focused on how the land left behind can best support communities,” she said.
She said unlocking additional parking was a simple but practical example of how the sites could support local events and economic activity.
North Coast National A&I Society President John Gibson welcomed the move, saying it would help address long-standing parking pressures at the showground.
“This land goes a long way towards solving our car parking issues,” he said.
The Resilient Homes Program has bought back hundreds of flood-prone properties across the Northern Rivers following the 2022 floods.
For more information, visit nsw.gov.au/resilienthomesprogram.
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