Resilient Lismore Inc. is a registered charity and a grassroots, community based organisation that is dedicated to fostering disaster preparedness, recovery, and resilience in Lismore and the Northern Rivers.
To build connected and thriving communities, that are well-equipped to handle and recover from emergencies and climate disasters.
We strive to deliver and support community-led initiatives, helping local communities improve their capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of climate change.
To build connected and thriving communities, that are well-equipped to handle and recover from emergencies and climate disasters.
We strive to deliver and support community-led initiatives, helping local communities improve their capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from the impacts of climate change.
Resilient Lismore works alongside communities across the Northern Rivers to navigate the challenges of disasters – from preparation to recovery.
Through practical programs, hands-on support, and collaborative networks, we help people feel secure, capable, and connected.Â
Our work builds trust, strengthens connections, and empowers residents to lead their own recovery. We also lead advocacy efforts to inform disaster resilience and recovery planning processes at all levels of government.Â
We are deeply embedded in community, ensuring our actions reflect community voices and advocate for their needs and interests.Â
We are open to everyone, creating welcoming environments, and showing respect to all.
We work closely with others, fostering strong, trust-based relationships and networks
Kindness and compassion are at the heart of our approach, guiding us to work with care for others and for ourselves.
Resilient Lismore works across the seven LGAs of the Northern Rivers
We are based in Lismore, working out of our Hub in the Lismore CBD. We deliver repair work right across the Northern Rivers, from the Tweed to the Clarence and we collaborate with communities across the region.
Our team live locally. We are part of this community and we love the Northern Rivers.
We want to see our community thrive, and that’s why we do what we do!
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Director operations
logistics and volunteers manager
Repair to return manager
it and systems manager
Disaster Ready Together Coordinator
INTAKE AND REFERRAL Coordinator
EVENTS COORDINATOR
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Project Officer – Rebuild team
Project Officer – Rebuild team
Project Officer – Repair to Return
Project Officer – Building and advisory services program
Project Officer – Repair to Return & Building and advisory services program
Project Administration Officer – Repair to return/ Building advisory services
Volunteers are the backbone of our disaster recovery work, without their donation of time and skills, we could not keep doing the important work we do. We would love to hear from you if you are interested in what we do! We also work with 88 day visa volunteers and welcome you to come and work in our communityÂ
Chairperson
TREASURER
SECRETARY
Board MEMBER
BOARD MEMBER
BOARD MEMBER
Our team first sprung into action as a community group called ‘Lismore Helping Hands’ following the first major flood in 2017.
We operated a community hub out of the disused train station for three weeks, coordinating around 1500 volunteers and responding to around 1000 jobs. In 2019-20 we supported communities around Nimbin who were responding to bushfires; we continued to manage our Facebook group, focusing on preparedness; we developed some resilience resources through Covid; and we changed our name to Resilient Lismore.
In response to the disaster that impacted the whole of the Northern Rivers in February 2022 our community came together again.
For eight months Resilient Lismore operated out of an undercover car park in the CBD, from there we collaborated with numerous other community initiatives across the Northern Rivers, all working as fast as we could to support the people who needed us. In October that year we moved into our Hub in the CBD and from there we continued supporting the people who needed us.
With widespread damage to housing in the Northern Rivers, and thousands of people displaced,
we focused early on repairing homes so they would be safe and secure to live in for the people who needed them. We partnered with Reece Foundation in early 2023 to deliver the ‘Essential Plumbing’ project and we secured funding from the Lismore Catholic Diocese to develop the ‘Two Rooms’ project. As these initiatives developed we also partnered with the Winsome Soup Kitchen who funded a large number of repairs. We then successfully lobbied the NSW Government for $5 million for our ‘Repair to Return’ project.
Our projects & services run out of our community hub in South Lismore.
Where we also continue to support our community with access to donated goods, warm referrals to other community services and the delivery of community events and workshops.
We couldn’t do what we do without all our amazing partners, supporters and funders.
Thank you for helping us to help our community.
That we are living and working together to recover from this climate disaster on Bundjalung Country, and pay our deepest respects to Elders past and present.
