'Can't promise that': NSW Premier Chris Minns unlikely to commit to buy-back scheme as residents across the the Mid North Coast begin mammoth recovery from flood destruction

Sky News AU

24-05-2025

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns is unlikely to commit to a buy-back scheme to re-purchase homes from residents in flood-affected areas, amid thousands of properties damaged from the latest bouts of wild weather on the Mid North Coast.
Residents and recovery crew braced themselves to begin a long journey of clean-up efforts on Saturday following a devastating week of record rainfall for much of the NSW coast.
Five people have been killed in flood-related tragedies so far, with roughly 50,000 people still stranded.
NSW SES estimates that at least 10,000 properties were damaged by the deadly weather event, with several communities still recovering from the impacts of cyclone Alfred.
About 50,000 people in more than a dozen towns across the NSW Hunter and Mid North Coast regions have also been left without power.
Essential Energy reported the most impacted areas remain Taree, Port Macquarie and Kempsey as efforts begin to restore electricity for thousands along the Mid North Coast.
The state Premier appeared before media on Saturday and said rescue crew have a "mammoth task" ahead of them after a record deluge wreaked havoc across the flood-ravaged towns.
'Now we're through the worst of the weather, and floodwaters are receding, we want people to be safe during the clean-up phase, and we're seeing resilient communities doing just that,' Mr Minns said.
"We know this is a mammoth task ahead of us. We want to particularly acknowledge the enormous courage the local community has had to exhibit in the last few days."
Mr Minns further added he cannot promise the state government will commit to a buy-back scheme that was previously implemented by the Coalition government during the 2021 northern NSW floods.
"Look I can't promise that," he said.
The Premier then shifted the focus on to the "resilience" of communities and the township that is hugely important.
"I have to assess what the flood damage is, what the likely impact has been. There's been different programs that have been operating in the Northern Rivers," he continued.
'Some have worked better than others, but I obviously don't want to replicate a program that hasn't delivered the kind of resilience that towns in the Northern Rivers had hoped for down here, and we need to make sure that whatever is approved for the mid north coast and the upper areas of the Hunter region works.
'That's going to take a little bit of time.
'We said from the beginning, we want to walk this journey together with the communities on the mid north coast, and that means that we're here for the long haul.
'But I've seen these programs, even with the best of intentions, be implemented and then not actually work or apply to just a small number of people, or the money runs out before it can actually make a difference in the community, and we're determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past, given we're having more and more of these natural disasters."
With the state government now under crunch time to help the flood-ravaged communities recover, Mr Minns listed his priorities as to first save those who are in imminent risk of death, then to supply food and shelter to residents and the "last priory" is the clean up effort.