Lismore’s long-term recovery from the devastating floods of early 2022 has taken an important step forward, with a contract awarded to a joint venture between CMC Group and JF Hull Holdings for the region’s largest road restoration package.
The major construction contract will enable critical repairs to restore roads from more than 60 landslips, improving reliability and reconnecting towns.
This marks a key milestone in restoring essential transport links across the Lismore region, with more than 50 road and transport infrastructure projects already completed, and almost 140 other projects currently in progress or under development.
Some projects have experienced delays or faced further damage due to the severe weather brought by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred in March 2025.
Work will be staggered over three years to reduce impacts on local communities and make full use of a locally based workforce from the Lismore local government area.
Jointly funded by the Commonwealth and NSW Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), the permanent repairs are now underway, with the reconstruction projects giving communities confidence in the safety, reliability, and resilience of their roads for decades to come.
Lismore City Mayor Steve Krieg said additionally, close to $17 million in new funding is being provided to Lismore City Council to help restore its road infrastructure and make it more resilient against future flooding.
“We’ve come a long way already and there’s still more work to do. These projects will reconnect villages and support our local economy.
“Lismore is not just rebuilding – we are rising.”
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said through the Regional Roads and Transport Recovery Package (RRTRP) and Essential Public Asset Reconstruction funding under the DRFA, several causeways across the region will be replaced to withstand future floods and improve road resilience.
“This contract is an important step in Lismore’s recovery journey, delivering critical repairs that the community has been waiting for since the 2022 floods,” the minister said.
“By investing in resilience, we are not just fixing what is broken – but we’re building back better to protect local residents from future flood events.
“The focus on local workforce and staged construction outlines the commitment from the Australian and New South Wales Governments to support the Lismore region’s economic and overall recovery whilst minimising disruption to residents.
“I would like to commend everyone that has been affected by the devastating natural disasters that have impacted the Lismore community for their strength, resilience and commitment to supporting each other in getting through difficult times.”
NSW Minister for Recovery and North Coast and State Member for Lismore, Janelle Saffin said the Lismore region was “getting its old mojo back, as we step up our rebuild with some great new developments”.
“Our mission as we build back and emerge from recovery is to be improving the resilience of our infrastructure as we go,” she said.
“This announcement means we can invest in our roads so that they are better able to withstand the weather events of the future.”
NSW Minister for Roads and Regional Transport, Jenny Aitchison said the NSW Government has quadrupled disaster recovery funding, from $190 million a year under the previous government, to an average of more than $800 million a year.
“We know landslips across the Lismore local government area had a massive impact on residents immediately after the flood and this contract to repair a further 60 landslips will keep up the momentum for action,” she said.
“Our objective has been to speed up support to councils dealing with disaster damaged roads.
“Together with the Albanese Labor Government, the vital $2.2 million investment under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements is rebuilding and reconnecting the Lismore community.”
