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Lismore, New South Wales

Electricians in LismoreWiring for a town that floods.

NSW SES calls Lismore one of the most flood prone urban centres in Australia, with about 155 floods recorded since 1850. That shapes the electrical work here more than anything else: where the switchboard sits, how low the power points go, and what happens before the power comes back on. Tell us your job and we'll match it with one licence-checked local electrician who does flood work, where we have one.

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Aerial view of Lismore's city centre beside the Wilsons River, lit by low golden light with green hills beyond.
Photo: Kingyj, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped

Floodwater got into the house?

Leave the power off, even if the street supply is back. Don't plug anything in or flick a switch that was under water. If floodwater is still around, stay out of it near any electrical gear, and keep well away from fallen lines: Essential Energy's fault line is 13 20 80. Storm or flood help comes from the SES on 132 500, and anyone in danger is a 000 call.

The understorey problem

Many Lismore homes are high-set timber houses, built with living space upstairs and the ground level left open underneath. Over the years, many of those understoreys have been walled in for garages and extra rooms. Each one brought power points, lights and sometimes a second fridge, all at the level the river reaches first.

That's why flood-resilient electrical work is a real trade here. It usually means moving the switchboard and outlets higher, putting downstairs circuits on their own protection so they can be isolated, and keeping as little as possible at floor level. The Northern Rivers Resilient Homes Program named raising power outlets and switchboards among the works its retrofit grants paid for, though applications for those grants closed on 14 August 2026.

Lismore's flood facts

A record that keeps moving

On 28 February 2022 the river reached 14.4 metres, well above the 12.11 metre mark of 1954, matched in 1974. That day 2,823 properties were impacted by floodwater.

Levees with limits

The CBD levee from 2005 was built for minor and moderate floods and has been overtopped three times. In 2022 water rose more than three metres above the South Lismore levee, and North Lismore has none.

How reconnection works

On the flood-hit North Coast, a qualified electrical contractor inspects the property and logs a Certificate of Compliance for Electrical Work, and a Level 2 Accredited Service Provider then reconnects the power.

Storms and cyclones too

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred left more than 38,000 homes and businesses across the Northern Rivers and Far North Coast without power in March 2025. Lismore also had declarations for severe weather from August 2024 and North Coast storms from September 2024.

What a good flood-resilience quote should cover

  • Where the switchboard will move to, and how high.
  • Which circuits feed the ground level, and whether they'll be on their own safety switch.
  • The height of new power points and any outdoor outlets.
  • What happens to the meter and service line, and whether a Level 2 provider is involved.
  • Testing at the end, and the CCEW lodged within 7 days.

If it were our place in Lismore

We'd ask an electrician who does flood work to look at everything below the first floor and plan it as though the water will come back, because in Lismore it does. Get the board as high as practical, give the downstairs its own circuits, and keep a copy of every CCEW. When the next flood comes, that paperwork helps get you reconnected.

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Questions

Straight answers.

Who turns my power back on after a flood in Lismore?

First a licensed electrician inspects, tests and repairs the wiring and lodges a CCEW. Then a Level 2 Accredited Service Provider reconnects the supply. Don't try to switch back on before both steps.

Can I still get a Resilient Homes grant to raise my switchboard?

Applications for the program's raising and retrofit grants closed on 14 August 2026. The work itself is still worth doing, and an electrician can tell you what's involved for your house.

Is it legal to wire up the room under my house myself?

No. Any electrical wiring work in NSW must be done by, or under the supervision of, a licensed electrician. Fines for unlicensed work are $22,000 for an individual.

Who do I call when the power's out in Lismore?

Essential Energy on 13 20 80 for outages and fallen lines. If your neighbours have power and you don't, it's likely inside your property, and that's an electrician's job.

Ready for a sparky in Lismore?

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Related help

Helpful next

Storm, flood and surge damageAfter a storm, flood or lightning strike: what not to touch, who to call, and how the power gets back on safely.Switchboard upgradesOld fuses, no safety switches or no room for a charger: when to upgrade and what changes.Level 2 electriciansNSW only: service lines, new connections and reconnections, and how to check a Level 2 suits your network.Outdoor and weatherproof power pointsWeatherproof outlets for the deck, carport, pool or EV cable: what to look for and where to put them.Electricians in New South WalesNSW licences, the Service NSW check, the CCEW, Level 2 work and which network to call.

Where this information comes from

Rules change, so check with your state regulator if something matters to your job. How we write and check these pages.

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