Beyond the floods: How Northern Rivers Community Gateway is helping Lismore rebuild

In Lismore, recovery from natural disasters has become a long-term challenge. Northern Rivers Community Gateway is supporting people as recovery stretches on for years, helping them rebuild their finances, secure stable housing and plan for what comes next.

Lismore is one of Australia’s most flood-prone urban centres, with the community experiencing several significant floods in recent years. The city was hit by major flooding in March 2017, before the Wilsons River rose to a record 14.4m on 28 February 2022, the highest flood level recorded in Lismore.

The region faced flooding again in March 2025, when heavy rainfall from Tropical Cyclone Alfred affected Lismore’s CBD and residential areas. Evacuation orders were issued, roads became impassable and essential services and power were disrupted.

A community built on resilience

Northern Rivers Community Gateway has been building community resilience since 1976, evolving from a grassroots collective into a professionalised hub. The organisation works to connect people with specialist support, creating pathways to recovery for individuals while strengthening connections across the community and region.

Northern Rivers Community Gateway CEO Jenni Beetson-Mortimer reflected on what those early foundations established.

“What it did was it started that person-centered approach. And so we work quite intensively with families and individuals who are disadvantaged in our community. And it set the scene for the way in which we work with people.”

That long connection to the Northern Rivers has placed the organisation alongside residents through some of the region’s most difficult periods, including the record-breaking 2022 flood.

From temporary housing to long-term recovery

For some residents, the consequences continued long after the water receded, particularly as people living in temporary accommodation faced the challenge of finding a more permanent home.

“A pure example of that is in the floods of 2022. We worked with Northern Rivers Housing because we had 11 pod villages here locally,” Beetson-Mortimer said.

“We had people who they had to be able to move out of those pod villages and start to think about renting.”

Moving on from temporary accommodation also meant confronting the financial and emotional impact of the disaster.

“It was all too hard for them. They were impacted significantly by the floods. So, our trauma counsellors provided financial literacy education, then met one-on-one with clients to work through a strategy to build their savings, move into a new home and become more financially resilient.”

Recovery amid rising household pressures

Years on from the record 2022 flood, recovery is unfolding alongside other pressures on household budgets.

Beetson-Mortimer described what the Northern Rivers Community Gateway is seeing among people coming through its doors.

“One of the biggest challenges is the cost-of-living crisis. We’re seeing more women experiencing domestic violence, while others can’t afford food each week and are facing extremely high rents.

“They need support with emergency relief, and our financial counsellors can sit down with them and work through their finances.”

Beetson-Mortimer said the effects of that support can reach beyond the individual seeking help.

“The clients are actually pleased to work with our financial counsellors. The feedback from them has been really, really positive. They've been able to give both themselves and their children a much better life.”

Rebuilding stability for the future

For families who have spent years responding to one challenge after another, the impact can also be felt in their ability to look further ahead.

In a community with a long history of severe flooding, the Northern Rivers Community Gateway’s role extends from immediate relief to the longer task of rebuilding stability.

For the people it supports, recovery can mean not only finding another home, but regaining the financial footing to begin planning what comes next.

The CommBank Tour visited Lismore as part of a national initiative designed to enhance financial fitness in regional Australia and bring communities together. Visit  The CommBank Tour  to learn more.