A year-and-a-half after massive floods inundated Lismore, the northern NSW town is to serve as a national "living laboratory", hosting a research centre to focus on identifying flood risks and how to cope with their aftermath.

The National Centre for Flood Research, which holds its inaugural symposium on Tuesday, will extend study beyond engineering and hydrology to include the social and environment impacts of floods at home and abroad.

Floodwaters from the Wilsons River engulfed homes in central Lismore in 2017. Credit:Dave Hunt

Caroline Sullivan, a professor at Southern Cross University where the new centre will be based, concedes one challenge is attracting attention – and funding – at a time when drought rather than excessive water is the problem. Last month was the country's driest September on record, the Bureau of Meteorology said.

Still, it's not uncommon for floods to follow dry spells as returning rains take longer to seep into hard ground, said Professor Sullivan, who will head the new centre. "After a serious drought period, it's highly likely we'll get a series of flash floods because of the dryness of the land."