You can find an up-to-date list of the free legal and financial counselling services that are offered to community impacted by the 2022 natural disaster on Lismore City Council's website.
The Disaster Response Legal Service is also offering a free insurance check-up that supports people to understand just what their insurance policies will cover them for in a future bushfire or storm and flood events. Please contact them on 1800 801 509 for more information.
The Centre supports community with a host of legal issues including Resilient Homes program advice and tenancy advice for people in emergency accommodation or the pod villages.
The Centre also offers a Disaster Recovery Legal Health Check for communities, families and individuals, to determine if their broader legal issues are being dealt with. Things like family law, access to children, credit and debt and consumer protection are all issues that can arise from a disaster and impact people’s journey to recovery. Please see their website for an explanation how the Legal Health Check can help you and for their contact details.
For community members needing assistance with bills and basic food staples, please see the list of available supports on the Lismore City Council website.
The Good pantry (51 Wyrallah Road, East Lismore) provides low-cost grocery items to people in need from Monday to Friday between 10am to 3pm and membership is free.
Whilst the Northern Rivers Community Gateway can also assist with food pantry items, they also offer No Interest loans, emergency relief, budget and financial counselling as well as financial capability workshops. The NRCG is located at 76 Carrington Street, Lismore or contact them by phone on 02 6621 7297.
Lifeline have opened another warehouse store with used furniture and pre–loved goods at 29 Lancaster Drive, Goonellabah. It is open seven days a week:
- Monday to Friday (9am – 5pm)
- Saturday (9am – 4pm)
- Sunday (10am - 4pm)
The road to recovery after a disaster can be a long and varied journey for people. Circumstances mean that some people experience a delayed response to the trauma. That is why there are a range of free mental health services on the ground, providing support to our community.
Head to Health at Southern Cross University (P Block, Rifle Range Road, East Lismore) are open seven days a week and offer an in-person support service for people aged 18 and over, with no referrals needed. Their service hours are:
- Monday – Friday (10am – 8pm)
- Saturday (12pm – 8pm)
- Sunday (10am – 2pm)
They are currently offering Trauma-Sensitive Yoga for clients attending counselling at Head to Health. Please call them on 02 6626 9131 or walk–in between the hours above.
The Northern Rivers Community Healing Hub continues to offer a wide range of supports to the community post floods. They are running their free “Wellness Wednesdays”, every week at the Koori Mail (11 Molesworth Street, Lismore) from 10am – 3pm. They offer everything from massage, acupressure, weaving and yarning to mindful movement, cuppas and snacks. Please see their website for more information and contact details.
The Northern Rivers Community Healing Hub also offer osteo, weaving and yarning in Nimbin on fortnightly Thursdays from 10am – 12pm, in addition to weekly Monday afternoon sessions in Coraki. See their Facebook page for locations and specific dates for those offerings.
For a more complete list of the range of mental health and wellbeing supports available in our LGA, please visit the Lismore City Council website.
For the range of supports that have been on offer for businesses post floods, please see the Lismore City Council website.
At present, Service NSW (SNSW) Business Concierges can provide free, tailored business advice in one-on-one sessions. They can also support businesses with their ready plans and saving and storing their business data in preparedness for any future events.
Call them on 137 788 Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm to book a call or an appointment.
SNSW also run a Business Connect program that offers around eight hours of free advice on topics like cashflow and marketing. They also have a range of free resources, events and skill building workshops for business owners on their website.
For contacts and support available to farmers and rural landholders post the 2022 natural disaster, please see the Lismore City Council website.
Rural Aid is offering reimbursement of 50 per cent of the course cost (up to $1000 per farmer) to support primary producers across all agricultural sectors, to attend an in-person course on sustainable agricultural practices. For more information and to apply, please see their website.
The Flood Recovery shuttle bus (699) continues to operate seven days a week from South Lismore station up to Goonellabah via East Lismore and the pod village. For the full timetable and list of pick up and drop off places, please the Lismore City Council website.