Lismore's largest school will be one of three relocated after a long-awaited review of the viability of Catholic schools in flood-affected areas.
According to the School Review Commission report, it is a "clear and unambiguous recommendation" that Trinity Catholic College, Lismore, Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School, in South Lismore, and St Joseph's Primary School in Woodburn, should not be re-established at their original flood-prone sites.
Trinity Catholic College had almost 1,000 students prior to the catastrophic flood event in 2022, but now has about 840 enrolled at its temporary campus.
Former principal of Trinity Brother John Hilet, who was a member of the School Review Commission, said the inability to get re-insured played a significant part.
"If we were insured for total loss ... you would have to insure for $80 million, so you can see why insurance companies are baulking," he said.
"To be honest as a provider of education, if you can't rebuild after a flood … you can't go back there."
Brother Hilet said there was a sense of sadness in the community, with the original St Mary's site of the school established in 1886.
"There has been a significant investment of time, energy and emotion and it has educated a lot of kids," he said.
"A lot of people have attachment to it."
Mental health concerns also factored in
The cumulative effects of repeated major flooding events were acknowledged in the report.
While projected demographic considerations were taken into account, so were mental health concerns.
"I had a staff member tell me I could not have coped if the place got destroyed again," Brother Hilet said.
"At least with this decision, we know that isn't going to happen again.
"Staff and students lost everything twice [in the 2017 and 2022 floods].
"You have the mental health and wellbeing of kids to be concerned about and that was certainly factored into it.
"Don't underplay the significant economic concern, but there was also other factors."
Trinity has a three-year lease to operate at the Lismore campus of Southern Cross University and is looking to extend it.
"I expect our current year sevens to graduate at the SCU campus," Brother Hilet said.
He said finding affordable land, connected to essential services, to establish a new site would be a challenge.
"Land like that is not easy to find," he said.
"Even if we made the decision, have to go through the planning process, design process, funding application process.
"The earliest we could turn dirt would be three to four years, and it would be six years before building and looking like completion."
