Four flood-affected Catholic schools in the Northern Rivers are considering permanently relocating.
Key points:
- Schools must be insured in order to be registered by the state's education standards authority
- The diocese says there will be community consultation before any changes
- It is assuring the community that it will continue to offer education
An insurance company has told the Lismore Diocese the schools will have to make changes in order to receive coverage.
Our Lady Help of Christians in South Lismore, St Joseph's Primary in Woodburn, St Joseph's Primary in South Murwillumbah and both campuses of Trinity Catholic College in Lismore are affected.
Schools must have adequate insurance to be registered by the state's education standards authority.
"The advice that we have received from our insurer is that we can't obtain reinsurance and as a consequence can't insure schools in those high flood-risk areas," diocese communications director Joe Pereira said.
"The schools will have to look at a range of options for rebuilding or relocation and that will be subject to a fairly comprehensive consultation process that the diocese wanted to kick off in the next few weeks.
"We'll know more once we've gotten information from the affected families and school communities.
"We're still trying to gather a range of information and the insurance dimension is just one part of it.
"The assurance that the diocese wants to give to the general community is that anybody who wants Catholic education will be able to receive the Catholic education.
"It may be in a different location or in a different form, but we will still provide for the people who are entrusted to our care."