Byron Shire Councillor Duncan Dey wants flood proof funding provided sooner

A councillor’s push to fast-track flood-proof funding for a Byron Shire town pummelled in the catastrophic 2022 northern rivers floods has hit a setback. Here’s why the motion fell flat.

Mullumbimby inundated by floods. Picture: supplied

A fresh push has been made to reduce the flood risk in the Byron Shire towns most impacted by the catastrophic 2022 floods by fast-tracking funding to tackle the problem.

Councillor Duncan Dey put forward a motion at the Byron Shire Council meeting to assist owners of flood-prone homes in Mullumbimby to reduce the future flood risk through house-raising, wet-proofing and buybacks.

The councillor proposed fast-tracking the funding rollout by bringing the timeline forward to three years from five.

Cr Dey proposed the council contact NSW Premier Chris Minns and Ballina MP Tamara Smith to intervene in the roll-out of the $700 million allocated last year under the Resilient Homes Program.

The fund is made up of two programs: The Resilient Land Program, valued at $100 million and the Resilient Homes Program, valued at $700 million.

To accelerate this financial aid to Mullumbimby residents and others who have been impacted by the floods, Cr Dey suggested moving the end date of the program forward from five years to three years.

He also suggested broadening the eligibility criteria and for Mr Minns and Ms Smith to urgently release a second tranche of funding for the Resilient Homes Program.

Picture: Councillor Duncan Dey

Cr Dey said he was arguing for the funding to be fast-tracked because people need to future-proof their homes or to be relocated from houses that have been badly damaged.

“These steps need to be taken before people rebuild from the damage of the flood so for me it’s crazy that a project that is designed to be the foundation of rebuilding after the floods has a five-year timeframe,” Cr Dey said.

“How can people be expected to live for five years until they get this basic funding to raise the house or wet-proof it which is something that you need to do before you rebuild your house?”

Cr Dey said he believes he did not get his fellow councillors’ support at the Thursday meeting because they were not informed well enough.

“I don’t think they’re keeping their fingers on the pulse of the ongoing suffering of people on the flood plains of our shire,” he said.

Byron Bay Mayor Michael Lyon

“I was disappointed that the mayor did not say ‘yes bring this on because this endorses my position on the matter’ that’s what should have happened.”

“Five years is a ridiculous timeframe and I’ll never forget my jaw dropping when the NRRC announced ‘all was well and everyone should be confident because they were here for a five-year time frame’ I thought you’ve got to be kidding.”

“One year has already gone and virtually none of the money had been distributed.”

Cr Dey said: “I think this program has bungled”.

“We are asking the new state government to clean up the mess that I believe was left by the old state government in the form of how this money was meant to be administered.”