Cabonne Council will continue to lobby state government for Molong, Cudal and Eugowra

At its January meeting the council voted to give priority for the buyback of two Molong residences while it continues to lobby the State Government.

The residences are in Betts Street and Euchareena Road.

Cabonne made it clear to ratepayers it will continue to lobby the State for buybacks in other Cabonne centres including Eugowra and Cudal.

Cabonne deputy mayor Jamie Jones said properties in Eugowra and Cudal had also been earmarked for buybacks.

Cabonne currently buys back one property in Molong every two years.

On the alternate year one property is purchased in Eugowra.

"The Floodplain Advisory Committee did look at the buyback issue and made recommendations in terms of which properties we will be looking to put forward to buy back," Cr Jones said..

"We want to put on the public record the mayor, general manager and staff have all been involved in conversations and the mayor continues to lobby, and has written to, the premier requesting the buyback scheme is fast tracked and expanded.

"The deputy premier has announced a large buyback for Lismore, so fingers crossed, we'll continue to lobby and over the coming months there will be something come from government," he said.

In late February, nearly 12 months after the Lismore floods, the state government made the first voluntary buyback offers to Northern Rivers residents.

The buybacks are part of the Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Program, jointly funded by the Federal and NSW Governments, with the first of them being made to residential homeowners located in the highest-risk flood zones.

"Council has put forward costings and the number of houses that we've asked the government to consider to fast track in terms of buy back," Cr Jones said.

"The government is considering that at the moment and we'll continue to lobby that it is crucial for those property owners. It will also allow us to carry out flood mitigation to protect the community.

"Whilst we're only putting forward, out of committee, to buy back those couple of properties it is well and truly on council's agenda and a high priority for council to get those properties along Bett Street (in Molong) and in Eugowra and Cudal bought back as soon as possible.

"We'll continue to lobby until we get that done.

"We won't be backing down on this," he said.,

Deputy premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC) aims to make buyback offers to the first 250 Northern Rivers residents whose homes are in the region's highest flood risk areas by the end of April and would only ramp up from there.

The record Lismore flood destroyed 4000 homes and five people lost their lives.

"Unfortunately we don't have the funds to put forward a program ourselves. We definitely need State Government support," Cr Jones said.

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