16 News

Twenty-six registered bidders vied for the 12 flood-affected homes up for auction at the Lismore Workers Sports Club at Goonellabah overnight (Tuesday, October 7), with sale prices ranging from $10,500 to $54,500.

To date, 83 properties in the Northern Rivers have now been offered for sale in the Northern Rivers, capturing nationwide attention.

PRD Real Estate conducted the auction of 12 flood buyback homes from central Lismore, South Lismore and North Lismore.

Several families bought houses, as well as one long term renter buying a home for the very first time. Builders and investors from outside the region also participated in the auction, which attracted an audience of 50 people, including four phone bidders.
 

The highlights included:

• 157 Magellan Street, central Lismore: $41,500
• 58 Ewing Street, central Lismore: $47,500
• 61 Brewster Street, central Lismore: $54,500
• 171 Magellan Street, central Lismore: $15,500
• 13 Rhodes Street, South Lismore: $32,500
• 23 Rhodes Street, South Lismore: $39,000
• 36 Barrow Lane, North Lismore: $11,500
• 37 Barrow Lane, North Lismore: $16,000
• 118 Terania Street, North Lismore: $10,50
• 80 Terania Street, North Lismore: $14,500
• 71 Bridge Street, North Lismore: $22,000
• 8 Simmons Street, North Lismore: $15,500.

All homes earmarked for relocation have been purchased by the NSW Reconstruction Authority through the buyback stream of the $880 million Resilient Homes Program, jointly funded by the NSW and Commonwealth Governments.

The Resilient Homes Program is the largest adaptation program of its kind in the country. So far, more than 1300 flood impacted homeowners have engaged with the buyback program, and more than 926 offers have been made.

There is no reserve price on these houses, meaning bidding can start and end at $1, making it one of the most accessible housing opportunities in Australia.

The Minns Labor Government remains committed to reusing as many flood-affected homes as possible. Additional houses will be released for auction by First National Real Estate at Murwillumbah on November 11 and PRD Real Estate in Lismore on November 17.

All NSW proceeds from the home sales are reinvested into the Resilient Homes Program to support more flood-affected residents.

For details on the homes sold, including photos can be found at: https://www.prd.com.au/northernrivers/relocation-homes/.

Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said:
“I asked for the steam rolling of the selling of these houses and that’s exactly what we are doing.

“We have set an ambitious target of putting an extra 42 houses up for sale by Christmas and are well on our way.

“It’s great to see the continued interest in this program, which is giving so many people a chance at something affordable in the housing market.

“With these tin and timber homes we are delivering the hopes and dreams of a generation to own their own home while ensuring the unique character of this great region lives on.”

NSW Reconstruction Authority Executive Director Northern Rivers Adaptation Division Kristie Clarke
said:
“The Resilient Homes Program is one of the most ambitious initiatives undertaken after a disaster in Australia.

“Through the buyback process, we’re removing homes from the floodplain and creating new opportunities by making some of these available for relocation.”

This Small Business Month, the Minns Labor Government is making it easier for local businesses to get the personalised advice they need, with face-to-face support available right across the state.

From Ballina to Bega, Griffith to Parramatta, Wallsend to Wagga, the Service NSW Business Bureau will be helping small business owners save time, make confident decisions and connect with the right support across the NSW Government.

Whether starting or growing a business, one-on-one support will be available at more than 30 Service NSW Centres across the State on select Wednesdays in October, from 10am to 4pm.

Businesses can get tailored assistance on a range of topics including:

• accessing government programs and services
• complying with regulations
• applying for licences and permits
• exploring opportunities to grow, including exporting and selling to government.

The Business Bureau also offers support for women in business, multicultural businesses and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses.

This month we are proud to celebrate Indigenous Business Month, recognising the strength, creativity and contribution of First Nations entrepreneurs, and encouraging everyone to engage with and support Indigenous businesses.

NSW Small Business Month is a month-long program for small businesses across the State to attend free and low-cost events aligned to their individual business interests. The program is a unique opportunity to celebrate our vibrant small business community and their contribution to the economy.

The Business Bureau is collaborating with partners during Small Business Month to deliver free events and support businesses and start-ups.

There are more than 870,000 small businesses in NSW, making up 97 per cent of all NSW businesses. NSW small businesses employ 1.7 million people in the private sector, which is around 40 per cent of the State’s private sector workforce.

For more information and to book an in-person appointment at a participating Service NSW Centre, visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/business/small-business-appointments-at-service-nsw-centres or call 13 77 88.

Minister for Small Business, Janelle Saffin:

“Small businesses are the heart of the New South Wales economy, and we are committed to helping them to grow, innovate and thrive.

“I see firsthand the strength and resilience of small businesses every day and I am committed to making sure they get the support they need.

“Small Business Month gives people the chance to connect, collaborate and build the skills they need to take their business to the next level.”

Acting Minister for Customer Service, Anoulack Chanthivong:

“This initiative helps to support the growth, resilience and innovation of small businesses across New South Wales.

“Across Small Business Month, we are making it easier for businesses to get the in-person support they need, especially in regional areas.

“Whether in a Service NSW Centre, over the phone or online, the Business Bureau is there to help every business in NSW by providing personalised and practical support to help them succeed.”

The Minns Labor Government is investing an additional $23.9 million to fast-track thousands of new homes in regional areas, as part of a package to support local councils to deliver infrastructure and strategic planning to support housing growth.

From today, councils outside of Greater Sydney can apply for funding through round four of two key programs:

• Low Cost Loans Initiative – up to $20.9 million available to help councils deliver critical infrastructure like roads, parks, and enabling infrastructure to support new housing by covering 50 per cent of interest costs on loans.
• Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund – up to $3 million in grants to support local planning projects that unlock new housing and improve affordability.

Grants under the Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund range from $20,000 to $250,000, supporting work such as housing strategies, masterplans, development control plans, and infrastructure contributions.

Housing supply pressures have impacted regional NSW, making it harder for people to buy or rent a home.

In 2024, the Minns Government set new housing targets for housing delivery across the state, including a target for regional NSW of 55,000 homes by 2029.

The projects funded under these programs will make sure the homes delivered are supported by enabling infrastructure such as water and sewer infrastructure, stormwater drainage, new local roads, kerb and gutter and footpaths.

To date, the Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund has invested $11.25 million across 60 projects in 49 councils, supporting plans that will help deliver new homes across regional NSW.

The Low Cost Loans Initiative has helped to support nearly 60,000 homes and deliver $262 million in local infrastructure projects in regional NSW – with the NSW Government contributing $8.2 million in interest subsidies to date.

Examples of previous successful projects include:

• $239,239 Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund grant to Byron Shire Council to assess affordable housing options around Byron Bay’s central business district.
• $111,041 interest reimbursement through the Low Cost Loans Initiative to Griffith City Council to fund $13 million worth of infrastructure for 62 new homes.
• $2.98 million in interest reimbursement under the Low Cost Loans Initiative to Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council for the $86 million Ellerton Drive Extension.

This is all part of the Minns Government’s plan to build a better NSW with more homes and services, so people have somewhere to live and in the communities they choose.

Applications for both programs close on 12 December 2025. To apply, visit NSW Planning.

For more information, visit Regional Housing Strategic Planning Fund and the Low Cost Loans Initiative.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

“We know infrastructure unlocks housing, and this investment is about making sure regional NSW has the roads, water, sewerage and community facilities it needs to support housing growth.

“The Minns Government’s planning reforms such as the Housing Delivery Authority and NSW Housing Pattern Book are gaining popularity in regional NSW, this initiative will support that housing growth.

“By backing councils to deliver these projects sooner and at a lower cost, we’re helping to deliver more homes for people who want to live, work and stay in the regions.”

Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“Regional NSW is growing fast, but without the right infrastructure, homes can’t be built. This investment will help councils deliver the water, sewer, drainage and local roads that are essential to unlock housing.       

“We know housing supply is one of the biggest challenges facing regional communities. By supporting councils to deliver enabling infrastructure sooner and at a lower cost, we’re helping families, key workers and young people find a place to call home in the regions.”

While patients wait longer for surgery and staff are stretched to breaking point, the Minns Labor Government has once again chosen spin over substance.
 
Instead of owning up to its failures, Labor’s latest press release rewrites history and takes patients for fools, by distorting the truth to distract from a health system under strain.
 
The facts speak for themselves:

• The backlog of 18,000 overdue elective surgeries came at the end of the global COVID pandemic when NSW operating theatres were shut.
• The former Coalition Government invested $408 million in the 2022-23 Budget to slash that backlog, and it worked. The number of overdue surgeries plummeted under our plan, continuing into Labor’s first year.
• Labor failed to reinvest or manage patient flow, which is why we’ve seen a new spike in backlogs under Labor. There have been no COVID shutdowns or lockdowns, just failure.
• Desperate to play catch up, Labor has thrown $200 million in December 2024, $23 million in June, and now $30 million today.
• Pre-COVID, overdue surgery lists remained stable and low – never rising above 1,000.

This morning’s so-called announcement isn’t about patients. It’s about politics.
 
Chris Minns and Ryan Park are hiding from scrutiny. Labor refuses to commit to an inquiry into the Western Sydney Local Health District, despite mounting evidence of dysfunction, overworked staff, and unsafe conditions for patients.
 
In Ryan Park, Paul Scully and Anna Watson’s own region, the Illawarra, the results speak for themselves:
 
Only 17.9% of emergency department patients at Wollongong Hospital and 38.2% at Shellharbour Hospital were admitted or transferred within six hours, compared with the target of at least 80%.
Fewer than half of patients at Wollongong Hospital were discharged within four hours.
At Shellharbour, only 71.6% left within four hours.
In Wollongong’s Emergency Short Stay Unit, only 48.7% were treated and admitted within four hours, when the target is at least 60%.
 
Leader of the Opposition Mark Speakman said this morning’s media stunt was a classic Labor distraction.
 
“This is a desperate attempt by Labor to shift blame for their own failures. They’ve had three budgets and two and a half years and still can’t get their act together,” Mr Speakman said.
 
Shadow Minister for Health Kellie Sloane said our hospitals are under pressure, and our nurses, doctors, and paramedics are doing everything they can.
 
“They’re the heroes holding a broken system together while Labor spins. Patients are waiting in pain while Chris Minns and Ryan Park play politics,” Ms Sloane said.
 
Shadow Minister for Regional Health Gurmesh Singh said Ryan Park can’t even fix hospitals in his own backyard, so it’s no surprise he’s ignoring the rest of NSW.
 
“Our hospitals in the regions are running on fumes while Wollongong-based ministers issue press releases. People out here aren’t asking for luxury wards; they just want a doctor who isn’t three towns away and an ambulance that shows up before it’s too late. Labor’s turned its back on regional NSW,” Mr Singh said.