City of Newcastle (CN) has welcomed an NSW Parliamentary review into the way the NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA) operates.
It comes after CEO Jeremy Bath and Deputy Lord Mayor Charlotte McCabe met with Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin and Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison on Thursday 16 October.
Ironically, it was Greens councillor Siobhan Isherwood who called on the state agency for answers last month as to why it “shrugged off” its New Lambton landslip responsibility.
The RA announced it would not be the lead organisation for the recovery phase of the incident – which destroyed 15 homes and displaced 29 residents on 23 May – in a letter to CN in July.
Sadly, the suburb suffered another bout of heavy rainfall soon after, increasing the danger zone around the area.
It’s understood RA doesn’t believe the landslide falls into the NSW East Coast Severe Weather classification from May 2025.
“We have outlined our experience and interaction with the Reconstruction Authority following the New Lambton landslip as part of a submission to the review,” a CN spokesperson said.
“That can be viewed on our dedicated ‘landslip incident’ webpage.
“But, our submission outlines the financial impact of this disaster on both CN and residents.
“Current conservative estimates place the damage and loss to private properties at more than $20 million, while emergency works and essential public asset restoration works for the site are estimated at $11.6 million.
“CN has also expended or committed works and consultancy costs of more than $800,000 to date on these response and recovery activities, all of which are unbudgeted in our current operational plan or forward delivery program.
“We hold significant concerns that certain elements will not be eligible for reimbursement or funding under current Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement guidelines, no matter how crucial or necessary they were in supporting this disaster.
“This includes the cost of employing a local recovery coordinator, which council has had to resource, given the written refusal of the RA to lead recovery.”
The final report from the NSW Parliament review is due May 2026, while an NSW Government response would likely be in late 2026.
“We recognise the hardship faced by both residents who have had to leave their homes and those who are living nearby,” the spokesperson said.
“Council remains committed to working with the impacted locals and neighbours as recovery efforts endure.
“We understand how distressing the uncertainty is… and will continue to provide clear and timely updates.
“We’ll also maintain individual contact with impacted residents and near neighbours.
“City of Newcastle looks forward to the review’s findings and support from the RA for the people of New Lambton, similar to that for property owners in other parts of the state whose homes have been struck by natural disaster.”
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