Flood-ravaged town marks sweet recovery milestone

An iconic ice-cream factory is back in business after being at risk of closing its doors permanently due to devastating floods nearly two years ago.

The Norco factory, which sits on the banks of the Wilsons River in South Lismore, was forced to close after the catastrophic NSW floods in February 2022.

As one of the region's biggest employers, the closure left more than 200 workers uncertain of their future and threatened the business's 128 years in operation.

But a joint $55 million grant from the federal and NSW governments helped the factory to rebuild and re-hire workers.

The 18-month recovery process cost $100 million in total.

In a milestone moment for the region's flood recovery, Norco reopened for the first time on Friday.

More than 100 local employees returned to work to start producing the 42 million litres of ice cream per year the factory is known for.

The workforce spans several decades with the youngest employee aged 17 and the oldest aged 72.

It's estimated there will be 160 full-time equivalent staff by June 2024.

The factory is designed to be flood-proof and is equipped with technology to defend a 15m flood, higher than 2022 water levels.

Features include quick-release capabilities on pumps so they can be moved easily, two mezzanines to allow staff to lift pallets of equipment greater than 15m high and nib walls to protect equipment that cannot be moved.

It's hoped the upgrades will help the factory reopen its doors within days or weeks rather than months in the event of another flood.

Emergency Management minister Murray Watt said it was an exciting day for the town.

“Norco is one of the region's biggest employers, and seeing the doors reopen is a big boost for the community,” he said.

Norco chief executive officer Michael Hampson said reaching the reopening day was rewarding after a challenging period.

He thanked the company's workers who had laboured on the rebuild over the past year, as well as the staff who were coming back to work at the factory.