Over a dozen families displaced by a 2025 landslide in New Lambton faced a difficult Christmas, still unable to return home due to ongoing safety concerns and delayed recovery efforts.

Christmas 2025 was a difficult holiday for over a dozen families displaced by the May 2025 landslide in New Lambton, with residents still in temporary housing and unable to return home. Homes on Russell Road, Baker Street, Victoria Street, and Portland Place remain in a danger zone due to unstable ground, some looted, including stolen Christmas gifts. Residents like Leonie Morgan, who lived in the area for 19 years, expressed emotional distress as their children experienced their first Christmas away from home and community traditions, like hilltop fireworks, were lost. Temporary housing is set to end in July 2026, and recovery efforts await a geotechnical report expected in early 2026. The City of Newcastle continues supporting residents and urging the state’s Reconstruction Authority to lead, though the state says the city is responsible. Critics questioned NSW Recovery Minister Janelle Saffin’s engagement, though her office said she has met with council and residents multiple times.