Bidding heats up for flood buyback houses in Lismore

TEN flood-affected homes sold under the hammer in Lismore on Wednesday night, with prices ranging from $6000 to $60,000.

More than 20 bidders packed the Lismore Heights Sports Club for the auction, run by Wal Murray & Co, with properties in central Lismore, South Lismore, North Lismore and Girards Hill on offer.

About 50 people attended, including several young families, builders and investors from outside the region.

Local honey processors Jackie and Luke Edwards picked up a second home to relocate to their farm.

Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said it was encouraging to see strong demand for the relocated houses.

“There is no other place in Australia where you can get this kind of housing opportunity,” she said.

“It’s a chance to preserve the character of this region while helping create a safer and more resilient community.”

The auction is part of the Resilient Homes Program, a $880 million buyback and relocation scheme funded by the state and federal governments.

All homes sold had been previously acquired by the NSW Reconstruction Authority and were offered with no reserve price, allowing bidding to start from $1.

More than 1300 flood-impacted homeowners have engaged with the scheme, with 926 offers made to date.

Further homes will go under the hammer on October 7 in a second auction run by PRD Northern Rivers.

All proceeds from NSW sales are reinvested into the Resilient Homes Program.