For residents desperately hoping for a way forward after the release of an independent inquiry into the 2022 floods, the NSW government response raises more questions than answers.
In the chilling cold of winter, Maralyn Schofield stapled discarded election corflutes to the walls of her home as makeshift insulation.
She was one of the thousands of Northern Rivers residents whose homes were inundated in the floods, and one of many who would be willing to move to higher ground.
Ms Schofield hoped the NSW government's response to the independent flood inquiry would include long-awaited details of a buyback and land swap scheme.
But she said announcements from Premier Dominic Perrottet left the situation "clear as mud" for home owners.
"We were expecting some answers around the buybacks and land swaps. We were given small snippets, no certainty," she said.
"Most of us are either homeless or living in tents or living in the shells of our houses, and at this point I'm going to have to build back because I can't live like this anymore."
The findings from the flood inquiry, prepared by former police commissioner Michael Fuller and Independent Planning Commission chair Mary O'Kane, found people in the "highest-risk" areas near Lismore should be relocated "urgently".
While Mr Perrottet committed to adopting all 28 recommendations, he said some would take time to implement.
He said the reconstruction authority would open expressions of interest for a buyback and land swap scheme by the end of August.
"I know that for many people that will provide uncertainty today in terms of eligibility, but that is something that we need to work through," he said.
South Lismore resident Harper Dalton said the lack of clarity was frustrating and disappointing.
"I still won't sleep very well knowing we could have a repeat event next month and nothing's changed except my house is severely damaged," he said.
"I've put the $20,000 Back Home grant into my house. If it floods next week I lose all my work, I lose everything I've been donated and I'm back to square one — if the house is still there."
Emergency merger applauded
The state government confirmed it would merge SES and RFS back-of-house operations, in response to the inquiry's recommendations.
Mr Fuller said he knew some SES volunteers would be disappointed but he believed it would allow them to respond more effectively to major disasters.
"Rural Fire has 70,000 volunteers … unfortunately SES is a much smaller organisation and they have around 200 people who are trained for flood rescue," he said.
"Trying to build the SES up like the RFS would take 20 years. We don't have time.
"The RFS has got a very sound commissioner … and they will take and embrace the back-of-house merger without devaluing the brand of the SES."
Tweed Shire Council had filed a submission to the inquiry calling for the SES and RFS to merge with Fire and Rescue NSW.
But Mayor Chris Cherry said combining administration for the two volunteer groups would be a fair compromise.
"Being able to share resources, being able to have that combined knowledge of each other's response would be a big benefit to the community," she said.
"[It] would really help in terms of allocating resources in times of emergencies."
