Seven weeks after its first devastating flood the people of Lismore were still battling to get access to emergency housing and vital services.
It's why Mayor Steve Krieg backed Cr Darlene Cook's urgency motion at Tuesday night's council meeting, calling for a Flood Reconstruction Commission to oversee the town's recovery.
"Seven weeks after the biggest flood in our history we are still fighting for these things. We should be throwing council weight behind this, sooner rather than later," Cr Krieg said.
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There was also a lot of interest in whether the council would offer any relief for those impacted by flooding.
Councillors debated how they could help those struggling to pay rates and fees after the twin floods, but it was determined legal advice was needed to ensure the council was acting lawfully.
The council deferred a vote until the May meeting, which will fall before the next rate instalment is due.
Council was still seeking funding to help with rate relief, and has hardship provisions in place if needed.
Councillors also voted to rescind the decision at the last council meeting to pause activity of the Flood Plain Committee.
Cr Elly Bird said it was not the time to lose momentum on important work that had already been started by the committee.
She said they should prioritise local knowledge, and a council-run committee ensured local voices were heard.
Cr Bird recognised the importance of the CSIRO study, but said all agencies had recognised the importance of local insight.
