Susanna Freymark
In April this year, eight people got together in Woodburn to form an action group. Their purpose was to advocate for the future of their community.
The Woodburn Action Group (WAG) includes local business owners Lisa Symonds, Daniel Simpson, former SES coordinator Jim McCormack, resident and engineer Corelle Forster, Woodburn Public School principal Michael Lord, Woodburn Community Chamber president Emma Salmi, builder Trent Brown, and Amanda Moss.
One of the group’s goals was to secure the future use of flood buyback land in Woodburn and to look at sensible options for growth.
The buybacks after the 2022 floods have been divisive in Woodburn with some houses in some streets getting bought back by the NSW Reconstruction Authority and some buyback decisions being made around ‘exceptional circumstances.’ 
A Reconstruction Authority spokesperson said the program’s Individual and Exceptional Circumstances policy recognises that some homeowners may face vulnerabilities, such as age, disability, serious illness, or financial hardship, that increase their risk during future flood events. These circumstances were considered alongside flood risk assessments to prioritise assistance, even where a property is not in the highest flood risk locations, the spokesperson said.
WAG isn’t against buybacks. The group wants to keep building entitlements on all buyback properties.
Resident and nurse Ms Moss who brought a medical centre to Woodburn was concerned about what she saw was happening to the town after the 2022 floods.
“Working in health, I hear the stories from community members regarding the concerns for the future of our town,” Ms Moss said.
“I couldn’t sit back and watch this happen, there was no consistency in the buybacks.”
And this has impacted Woodburn.
One policy does not suit every town, Ms Moss said.
“We acknowledge that Richmond Valley Council has plans for the buyback blocks,” she said.
The renovated brick house in Cedar Street, Woodburn is an example of a house that could be used by the community rather than be removed – for a childcare centre or someone else could live in it.
Woodburn has lost more than 10% of its population because there is barely any land for those who get a buyback to relocate in Woodburn – so they leave, Ms Moss said.
There are 33 houses waiting to be removed in Woodburn.
At the August Richmond Valley Council meeting, Woodburn Public School principal Michael Lord said his school and St Joseph’s School had a collective 23% drop in enrolments.
“It’s ripping the town apart,” he told the meeting.
If we lose our schools it will be very difficult to get families to locate to the area, Ms Moss said.
WAG members have met with Richmond Valley Council and the Reconstruction Authority to discuss buybacks.
Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin has said the buybacks in Woodburn are being paused.
Ms Moss said that hadn’t been made clear to WAG.
“We are not entirely sure about this. WAG requested a pause so we have time as a community to discuss the future plans for houses and land. But there is demolition occurring,” Ms Moss said.
The Reconstruction Authority said demolitions are continuing where properties are in a dilapidated condition, present a public safety risk or aren’t suitable for ongoing use because of their flood risk. 
Ms Moss said there is concern that one catastrophic flood event in 2022 is determining Woodburn’s future.
“As per Jim McMormack prior to 2022, the last time flood waters impacted the town was in 1974. 2017 reached major flooding in Lismore but only minor in Woodburn,” she said.
“The concern from WAG is that 2022 has created a perception that flooding of this scale is a regular occurrence in Woodburn, influencing decisions about the town’s future.”
Ms Moss said there are plans for a short stay caravan stop, similar to the one in New Italy for Richmond Street where several flood damaged houses have been removed.
Ms Forster said the Authority policy is associated to a fast flowing flood.
“Woodburn is a lowlands floodplain.”
“I want to see homes stay. If the home has to go, let someone build on that land.”
Ms Salmi said she got a buyback, but felt ‘forced’ to take it. She moved to another house in Woodburn.
“The Authority got selective about ‘exceptional circumstances’,” she said. 
Ms Forster wants to see Cedar Street stay.
“I’ll chain myself to that house,” she said.
Ms Moss said many of the houses purchased by the Reconstruction Authority under individual or exceptional circumstances are not located in the deemed ‘high risk priority for removal.’
“WAG would like to see all of those houses either left intact and reused by families or at least a building entitlement retained for a future residential build,” she said.
Relocations and demolitions of properties (apart from those previously mentioned as unsafe) are currently on hold, the Reconstruction Authority said.
Woodburn will get to keep many of its buybacks and discussion with the community, the council and the Authority will lead to decisions on what to do with the remaining buybacks and vacant blocks.