‘We are in a housing crisis’: Lismore residents accuse NSW government of demolishing homes that should be relocated

The NSW Reconstruction Authority demolishes houses on Baillie Street in North Lismore that were part of the buyback scheme after the catastrophic floods in 2022. Photograph: Elise Derwin/The Guardian

Seven months after the worst floods in Australia’s modern history lapped at the roof of Jenny’s* home, she moved back in. The sludge was mopped up, the electrics rewired and a new kitchen installed.

The next year, in 2023, Jenny was offered the value of her home as part of the New South Wales government’s buyback scheme on Lismore’s flood plain. Aged in her early 70s, she took the deal after being assured her home would ultimately be relocated and someone else would make it their home.