Lismore City Council has appointed Bennet Constructions as its Managing Contractor as the city heads to the “next stage” of its rebuild.

The city was one of the hardest hit communities after devastating floods last February and March, with damage estimates to over 250 council structures at over $500 million.

Lismore City Council’s Chief Operating Officer Brendan Logan says ongoing works have been dedicated to the “emergency and immediate restoration” of council buildings.

He says the locally-based constructor “will design, manage, coordinate and deliver flood restoration works for the majority of the civic buildings that were damaged during the disaster”.

Mr Logan references a “two-stage arrangement” delivery model set up by the Managing Contractor, which will see the council paying Bennet for project development costs such as scoping, design, and hiring subcontractors.

“This model allows for maximum design flexibility while also providing greater oversight in monitoring the prices charged by subcontractors, in order to meet funding obligations with State and Federal governments,” Mr Logan said.

He says developments for individual projects have begun, although no set timeframes for their completion have been established.

“At this stage, we do not have firm timeframes for the reconstruction of specific buildings but will let the community know as soon as we can,” Mr Logan said.

“In the meantime, Council would like to thank the community for their patience and understanding as we undertake this mammoth reconstruction task.”