As we look back on the past 12 months since the floods impacted the Northern Rivers, we are proud to celebrate the sheer tenacity and generosity of our community organisations.  We have come a long way but we are equally aware that there’s plenty still to be done. In the immediate aftermath of the floods, the NRCF reached out to over 300 community organisations to assess the impact and establish what they needed and where. Our research led to the distribution of close to $1 million in rapid response, evidence-based grants through the Flood Relief Fund, a partnership with Byron Community Centre.

Further flood relief grants were distributed to the tune of $642,382 as part of our Annual Community Grants in November 2022, supporting the ongoing and significant recovery work still being undertaken. And, to further aid in the recovery effort, we also provided $305,366 in Recovery & Resilience Grants for disaster recovery initiatives and resilience-building projects.

We are again conducting in-depth research across the seven LGAs of the Northern Rivers, connecting with grassroots organisations to understand the ongoing and changing needs of our community post-disaster. Our goal is to conduct this research annually for the next three to four years, to track the progress of recovery and resilience and enable us to make informed, evidence-based decisions about our grant programs. This information will be invaluable in guiding the region towards a full recovery.