SYDNEY: Australia's state of New South Wales (NSW) announced on Tuesday that it will establish a new coordinating body to lead the long-term reconstruction of flood impacted areas across its northern part.
The Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation (NRRC) will coordinate planning, rebuilding and construction work of essential services, infrastructure and housing across multiple government agencies to help people in the Northern Rivers communities, one of the worst-hit areas in the disastrous rainfall and flooding that swept Australia's eastern coast for weeks.
An advisory board consisting of local representatives, such as local members of parliament and mayors, will provide local expertise and knowledge to support the work of the new coordinating body, Xinhua news agency reported.
The NRRC will have the power to work with councils to identify, prioritise and support projects that can rejuvenate communities within the Northern Rivers area, with a particular emphasis on housing and supporting social infrastructure.
It will also have the power to compulsorily acquire or subdivide land, speed up and fast-track the building of new premises and accelerate delivery of planning proposals.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NRRC would lead a single, coordinated whole-of-government approach to the permanent recovery and rebuilding of communities across the Northern Rivers.
"We know the community needs certainty. We are working through recovery and we have an independent Inquiry underway that will hear from all of those impacted, from experts and the scientific community."
"The NRRC will be able to draw on the recommendations from the Inquiry and lead the long-term reconstruction work to build certainty for future generations, " he said.