Christine Tondorf

Hydrodynamic modelling by CSIRO found that up to 10 proposed water detention systems in northern New South Wales could have reduced the height of the catastrophic 2022 floods by as much as 2.1 metres, though not enough to stop the Lismore CBD levee from overtopping. Governments have not committed to building the systems but announced a joint feasibility study. Local residents expressed mixed reactions, with some supporting engineering solutions and others calling for relocations or nature‑based approaches. Political leaders offered differing views, with some welcoming the findings and others arguing that large‑scale dam projects cannot solve worsening flood risks driven by climate change. Existing recovery programs remain contentious as buybacks and relocations continue amid slow progress on new housing delivery.

Christine Tondorf describes planning a party to mark the end of her fertility, but an unexpected period delays the celebration and leaves her still perimenopausal. She contrasts her relatively positive view of menopause—with freedom from pregnancy risk and manageable hot flushes—with the anxiety and sadness associated with fluctuating hormones. Her personal life story is interwoven with memories of Cold War tensions, terrorism, the Australian bushfires, Covid-19, flooding and climate change. Despite uncertainty about her health, fertility and the planet’s future, she argues for pursuing happiness in the present and remains determined to celebrate menopause.

Australian politicians Sussan Ley and Jason Clare criticised the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, while Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faced criticism for not commenting. The live coverage also reported rising Australian inflation, COVID-19 deaths, possible statewide restrictions in New South Wales after the detection of varroa mite, Commonwealth leaders’ calls for climate and pandemic action, a fatal aircraft crash in Queensland, and an Australian Taxation Office crackdown on alleged family trust tax avoidance.

Lismore’s annual winter solstice lantern parade took on renewed significance after devastating floods twice inundated the northern New South Wales town. Festival director Jyllie Jackson moved the parade to the Wilsons River to begin repairing the community’s relationship with the source of so much destruction. The event honoured residents, boat operators and State Emergency Service crews involved in rescues, while providing residents such as flood-affected lawyer Binnie O’Dwyer with a therapeutic creative outlet. Attended by about 15,000 people, including Japan’s ambassador, the parade offered hope even as much of Lismore’s CBD remained damaged, poorly lit and only partially reconnected to electricity.

Residents of Lismore and surrounding Northern Rivers communities remain in prolonged displacement and uncertainty months after devastating floods. Businesses remain largely closed, thousands of homes are uninhabitable or damaged, and many families are living in caravans or tents while government reconstruction bodies and inquiries move slowly. Insured residents such as Marcus Bebb are hesitant to rebuild before learning whether the New South Wales government will introduce a property buyback scheme. The delayed response is presented as evidence that Australia is poorly prepared for increasingly severe climate-related disasters, with implications for more populated areas facing future floods and fires.

Mayors and residents in flood-affected northern New South Wales urged the state government to begin voluntary buybacks and land swaps immediately, warning that residents may use insurance payouts to repair homes and lose the opportunity to relocate. Tweed Shire said the existing $2m scheme is overly restrictive and can purchase or raise only a few homes each year, proposing about $300m in first-year funding and broader eligibility. The state government is waiting for recommendations from an independent flood inquiry due by the end of June, while residents such as Woodburn homeowner Sam Elley face pressure to repair severely damaged properties despite continuing fears of future flooding.

A parliamentary inquiry heard that Lismore’s flood response was undermined by a failed top-down approach, government unpreparedness and conflict between residents, volunteers and state agencies. Witnesses and local politicians sharply criticized Resilience NSW, delays and bureaucracy surrounding grants, housing assistance and recovery, while describing severe homelessness and mental-health impacts. Community-led efforts, including a recovery hub run by the Koori Mail, filled major gaps in food, medical care, supplies and outreach. Speakers called for better preparedness, less red tape and a more locally directed disaster response as climate-related risks increase.

About 8,000 people attended the free One From the Heart concert in flood-ravaged Lismore despite rain and deep mud. Performers including Paul Kelly, Daryl Braithwaite, Jon Stevens, Lime Cordiale, Sheppard and Grinspoon helped residents reconnect and find relief after two devastating floods, while locals described the event as cathartic and morale-boosting. Performers and residents urged continued government support as the town rebuilt, with an independent New South Wales inquiry into flood preparation, response and recovery due to issue its first report on 30 June.

Ten weeks after severe flooding devastated Lismore and surrounding Northern Rivers communities, fewer than 15% of applications for the NSW government’s small-business grants had been approved, while many were rejected or returned for more information. Business owners Tracy and Matt Dwyer and mushroom farmers Kylie and Matt O’Reilly describe losses of roughly $500,000 and more than $1m respectively, alongside insurance exclusions, complex eligibility rules and severe personal stress. Business representatives and politicians argue that grants should be based on actual damage rather than employee numbers or restrictive farm-income tests, and that processing must accelerate. The NSW government says it is working through a high volume of applications and that many rejected claims lack evidence of direct flood damage, but affected businesses warn that delays and fragmented administration are undermining recovery.

Residents speaking at the first public hearing of the 2022 NSW flood inquiry in Lismore described inadequate warnings, unreliable modelling, poor preparedness and delayed recovery assistance after the February and March floods. They proposed measures including improved communications, flood-proof infrastructure, relocations or land swaps, dredging, wetland restoration, roof hatches and changes to insurance and disaster planning. Testimony detailed trauma, deaths, impacts on disabled people and animals, and continuing hardship for families and farmers. Community members and local representatives said government agencies had repeated mistakes made during earlier bushfires and needed to respond more quickly.

Lismore residents’ volunteer-led response to devastating floods demonstrated a DIY model of emergency management as official services struggled to respond. The experience weakened trust in government, evacuation decisions and weather forecasting, while climate change is making extreme events less predictable and overwhelming established systems. The piece argues that Australia needs to consider new forms of climate-disaster support, including disaster income payments, land swaps, insurance for high-risk properties and a dedicated Australian Defence Force climate-response capability. Community-led initiatives such as the Koori Mail recovery hub illustrate the cooperation and local knowledge that may become increasingly important.

Two high-resolution Bureau of Meteorology models indicated on Tuesday evening that a dangerous low-pressure system could return toward Lismore and produce as much as 200–400mm of rain overnight. Despite that risk, the NSW State Emergency Service cancelled an evacuation order and told residents they could return home. Heavy rain then caused the Wilsons River to rise again, with flooding peaking at 11.4 metres, prompting renewed warnings and evacuations. Independent meteorologists and local politicians questioned why the modelling did not lead to stronger warnings, while the SES attributed the reversal to exceptional rainfall that was not forecast. The Bureau defended its broader forecasting record and said improved high-resolution modelling was needed as extreme flooding became harder to predict.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy addressed Australia’s federal parliament by videolink, urging stronger sanctions against Russia and requesting Australian military vehicles including Bushmasters. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced an additional $25 million in defensive aid, called Vladimir Putin a war criminal and pledged further support for Ukraine, while Australia imposed a 35% tariff on imports from Russia and Belarus. The live coverage also reported severe flooding and rainfall across New South Wales, a fatal helicopter crash in Victoria, widespread COVID-19 deaths and cases, a controversial Solomon Islands-China security deal, and Anthony Albanese’s budget reply promising additional aged-care funding.

Severe flooding continued across northern New South Wales, with Lismore’s levees overtopped, rivers forecast to reach 12 metres and a search under way for missing aged-care nurse Anita Brakel. Authorities warned of further evacuations and worsening conditions affecting thousands of residents, while emergency services faced criticism over coordination, warning systems and disaster assistance. The blog also covered Scott Morrison’s denial that he planned to call an election within days, allegations of bullying from Pauline Hanson and Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Josh Frydenberg’s promotion of the federal budget, state COVID-19 updates, Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s planned parliamentary address and a fire that reduced output at Victoria’s Yallourn power station without threatening electricity supply.

Severe rainfall caused widespread flooding across northern New South Wales, with more than 28,000 people affected by evacuation orders in the northern rivers and mid-north coast. Lismore’s Wilsons River was rising toward 12 metres, prompting renewed evacuations after the city had already been devastated by record flooding a month earlier. Byron Bay was inundated by about 300mm of rain, while communities near Coffs Harbour, Bellingen and the Macleay River also faced flooding, road closures and isolation. Emergency services, police, volunteers and Australian Defence Force personnel conducted rescues and supported evacuations. Authorities faced criticism for briefly lifting and then reinstating Lismore’s CBD evacuation order, while residents described exhaustion, trauma and the loss of homes and possessions.

Emergency authorities defended cancelling a Lismore CBD evacuation order after rapidly developing thunderstorms caused the levee to breach and flooding to return. The SES said its decision reflected the best available local advice and weather forecasts at the time, while acknowledging faulty sirens, gauges and pumps left from earlier floods. Opposition figures criticized the government for failing to repair critical infrastructure, and questions were raised about the delayed evacuation centre in Byron Bay. An independent inquiry is expected to examine the response, resourcing and planning, with further flooding possible as wet weather continues.

The 2022 flood devastated Lismore, surpassing the damage of the 2017 event and destroying homes, businesses, possessions and livelihoods. Residents, volunteers, emergency services and local institutions are undertaking an enormous cleanup while many face inadequate or unavailable flood insurance, displacement and unemployment. The community’s resilience is evident, but the piece argues that resilience alone is insufficient and calls for meaningful political action on climate change and preparation for increasingly frequent extreme weather.

Severe flooding across New South Wales and Queensland caused the NSW death toll to rise to five, with further deaths, evacuations and widespread disruption reported. North Richmond residents were ordered to leave because of the risk of Redbank Dam failing, while major flooding threatened the Hawkesbury-Nepean system and more heavy rain was forecast for Sydney and Queensland. Ballina authorities appealed for Australian Defence Force assistance as rescue and communication efforts were strained. Emergency services carried out rescues, including saving a 93-year-old Lismore resident, and disaster-payment applications reached 145,000. The live coverage also reported state-by-state COVID-19 figures, Australia’s military assistance to Ukraine, and an expert explanation that the weather system was an atmospheric river rather than a “rain bomb.”

Severe flooding inundated Ballina in northern New South Wales after a king tide met swollen rivers, potentially affecting 6,000 homes and forcing evacuations, including the local hospital. Power and phone outages hampered rescue efforts, while hundreds of people were rescued by boat and emergency agencies warned that the flood peak would continue for hours. The disaster had already caused deaths in New South Wales and Queensland, stranded vehicles on the main highway, damaged homes and businesses, and generated 145,000 federal disaster-payment claims.

Flooding across south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales severely disrupted grocery supply chains, closing hundreds of Coles and Woolworths stores, emptying shelves and prompting purchase limits on essentials. Road and rail closures, stranded freight, flooded warehouses and a derailed train prevented deliveries from reaching affected and remote communities, including evacuees in Coraki who required a helicopter food drop. Retailers attempted to reroute supplies through alternative inland distribution routes, while experts called for more resilient infrastructure, duplicated transport links and shorter, more local supply chains.