North coast residents are struggling to navigate the insurance process as they try to move on from the worst floods on record.
South Lismore resident Linda Varga said she had experienced 38 floods during her 32 years in the suburb but the catastrophe at the start of March was the first time water had inundated her home.
Then it happened again less than a month later.
Ms Varga and her family moved back into their shell of a home only a day flood waters receded for the second time.
"We don't have insurance, we don't have money to pay for a rental or anything like that," she said.
"We were staying with friends but there comes a time when you have to face it and go back home."
Same street, different insurance policies
Ms Varga said she had to drop her insurance policy when it became unaffordable 15 years ago.
She said she had since found out neighbours only a few houses away had an affordable insurance policy.
"I've got neighbours that have got insurance for $3,500 a year and mine is $25,000," she said.
"I've shopped around year after year and I cannot get insurance at a reasonable rate."
She said she was prepared to pay for insurance.
"I just can't get it at a price that allows you to live at the same time," she said.
Ms Varga said she had unsuccessfully tried to access the same insurance policy her neighbours.
She said she just wanted to be able to access the same affordable insurance policy has others in her street.
Rebuild or wait?
Many flood-affected Lismore residents who had insurance have been left wondering what to do once their claims are paid.
South Lismore resident Linda Ray said her insurance company had been quite easy to deal with and had already paid her contents claim.
"As for the building, the insurance company has told me that it will be very shortly and even by the end of this week," she said.
She said she did not know whether she should rebuild her gutted home wait until a decision was made about potential land swaps and house buybacks?
"You are not going to be able to sell them, you're not going to be able to insure them again," she said.
She said she, like thousands of others, was living with the prospect of not being able to make a decision for months.
She has put her retirement plans on hold as a result.
"I think we'll have to work until we're about 80, unless we win lotto in the meantime," she said.
Navigating insurance for the first time
South Lismore residents Gabriel Hooper and Elloise Braden bought their home in December last year.
Water went to the ceiling in the February floods.
Mr Hooper said they were insured but their claim was yet to be settled.
"I've never really made an insurance claim before so I'm not sure if this is smooth sailing or not," he said.
"I'm lost."
Ms Braden said it was traumatic not knowing what to do next.
"As much as we've got insurance, it's taking it's time and we feel like we are in limbo," she said.
"I think everyone is experiencing a sense of disorientation and that I would say include insurance companies at the other end."
Insurance Council of Australia acting chief executive Kylie Macfarlance said her organisation was working with all insurance companies to ensure policy holders were being looked after and their claims were processed as quickly as possible.
