The Northern Rivers Times
May 19, 2022
16 NEWS
Quick Response Grants put money where it’s needed
As our beautiful Northern Rivers region struggled with the devastation brought by two flooding events in quick succession, it has been grassroots, community-lead response that has risen to the challenge. Northern Rivers Community Foundation, in partnership with the Byron Community Centre, launched the Flood Relief Fund to offer quick response grants of up to $10,000 to community organisations to provide flood relief and recovery for the Northern Rivers. As of 11 May, 2022 an incredible $1,308,655 had been raised and 103 Quick Response Grants had been funded, for community organisations who are already imbedded, connected and trusted to provide disaster recovery support. The project is inspired
by the words of Bernard Williams: “Humans have never made any material as resilient as the human spirit.” The 103 projects so far funded span the seven Local Government Areas of the Northern Rivers. Grants have already gone out, thanks to the efficient work of a Grants Committee, chaired by Byron’s Citizen of the Year for 2020, Helen Hamilton. The committee has identified local needs based on research by NRCF to distribute the funds for the quickest and most effective support. 2022 Quick Response Flood Relief Grant Recipients • Winsome / Lismore Soup Kitchen, Lismore • Mid Richmond Neighbourhood Centre, Evans Head, Woodburn,
Coraki, Broadwater • Vibe Care Pantry, Tweed Heads • Australia Seabird & Turtle Rescue, Ballina • NRCG Food Pantry & Laundry, Lismore • Rekindling The Spirit Community Services, Lismore • Autism Camp Australia, Girards Hill • 88.9 Community Radio, Woodburn • Agape Outreach Food Supplies, Tweed Heads • Baby Give Back, Varsity Lakes (for Northern Rivers) • Bangalow Koalas Tree Recovery, Bangalow • Lifeline Northern NSW Call Centre, Lismore • Lismore Basketball Association, Lismore • National Disaster Management Services, Mullumbimby • Nimbin Community Centre, Nimbin • North Coast Community College, Alstonville
• The Owl & The PussyCat Farm Animal Sanctuary, Crabbes Creek • The Buttery Community Counselling Outreach, Binna Burra • Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre, Pottsville • Bunjum Aboriginal Corporation, West Ballina • North Coast Community Housing, Lismore • RiverTracks, Murwillumbah • Mudyala Aboriginal Corporation, Grafton • Spaghetti Circus, Mullumbimby • RealArtWorks Disability Service, South Lismore • The Colony Bees Association, Lennox Head • LightnUp Inc. ‘The Healing Heart’ Lanterns, Lismore • Windara Communities Facility, Casino • Multi-Task Human
Resource Foundation Ltd - Disability Support, East Lismore • Byron Youth Theatre - Therapeutic Drama Sessions, Wilsons Creek • Big Scrub Music Healing, Casino • Bundjalung of Byron Bay Aboriginal Corp., Broken Head • Burringbar Community Association, Burringbar • Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital, Knockrow • Heart2Heart Meal Distribution, Uki • Daisi Disability Services, Ballina • RED Disability, Lismore • Shed of Hope, Tabulam • It Takes a Town, Murwillumbah • Pregnancy, Birth & Beyond Programs, Mullumbimby • Byron Region Community College, Mullumbimby • Lismore Home Modification Service
& Wellbeing, South Lismore • Mullumbimby & District Neighbourhood Centre, Mullumbimby • Natural Death Care Centre, Brunswick Heads • Northern Rivers Community Legal Centre, Lismore • NSW Wildlife Information Rescue & Education Service, Bonalbo • ReForest Now Environmental Flood Recovery, Brunswick Heads • Bangalow Community Children’s Centre, Bangalow • Liberation Larder, Byron Bay • Pure Bhakti Service Association, Murwillumbah • Lismore Challenge Ltd Recovery and Cleanup, East Lismore • Kyogle Together Inc., Kyogle
First residents move into ‘pod’ villages Keys to housing ‘pods’ at the Wollongbar temporary accommodation site have been handed over to residents displaced by the unprecedented
response to assist around 25,000 households. “These keys means so much more than the physical structure they unlock. They are a safe,
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said the moment marked an important milestone in the NSW Government’s $350 million housing
affected community members while they undertake their own personal journey of deciding what’s next and beginning to rebuild,” Ms Cooke said. “The Wollongbar site
has the capacity to house up to 220 people and is just one of 12 locations across the Northern Rivers region slated to host ‘pod’ villages.” Ms Cooke said the Wollongbar temporary accommodation site is located around 20 minutes from Lismore and Ballina. Flood-affected community members seeking housing support are urged to contact
Service NSW on 13 77 88, visit nsw.gov. Recovery Centre staff. Nine temporary accommodation sites have been secured by the NSW Government across the Northern Rivers affected residents, with more to come. The nine sites, which will be added to over the coming weeks, will have capacity for
around 800 temporary modular homes known as ‘pods’ and will be located at: Wollongbar Sports Fields; Adjacent to Tweed Holiday Parks, Pottsville North; Bath Street, Wardell; Park Street, Evans Head; Booyong Street, Evans Head; Alphadale Street, Lindendale; Southern Cross University, Lismore; The corner of Wagner and Uralba Streets, Woodburn; and
Lismore Golf Course, East Lismore. Work has now commenced on a Crown Land site adjacent to the Tweed Holiday Parks at Pottsvile North. This location will accommodate up to 55 caravans. The NSW Government is also working on longer-term housing solutions, such as the funding of social and Aboriginal housing.
