EPA land clean-up program for Northern Rivers residents, businesses, councils

A new clean up program to tackle contaminated land due to the blackwater February floods has been announced for Northern NSW residents and councils. What this means for you.

A new land clean-up program launched by the Environmental Protection Authority in Lismore this week is now open for both businesses and residents in seven Northern Rivers council areas.

Applicants will be able to access flood support through the $5 million program which is designed to aid the management of contaminated lands following the devastating floods in early 2022.

NSW EPA chief executive officer Tony Chappel said the agency is committed to doing all it can to help the region recover.

Left: NSW EPA chief executive officer Tony Chappel speaks with Lismore City Council regulation services officer Lachlan Stace about clean-up options under the new $5 million Flood Recovery Program for Contaminated Lands program.

“Our role at the EPA is to protect the community and environment, and this program is about ensuring contaminated land is addressed so people have peace of mind about their land,” Mr Chappel said.

“I cannot begin to imagine how hard it has been for the community to return home after the flooding only to face a painstaking clean-up.

“We want to give Northern Rivers communities who have made that extraordinary effort the certainty that the land they live on is healthy and safe.”

The program will provide free, independent assessments for eligible properties, which will reveal if soils have been contaminated.

“If a property is deemed to be contaminated, we will also provide landholder assistance in cleaning-up soils and returning the environment to the best state possible.”

FLASHBACK: John Skudder and partner Amy Parker faced an uncertain night as flood waters rose around their home. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

Mr Chapel said around 261 cubic metres of debris has been removed from the region’s waterways, equal to that of three semi-trailer trucks.

The funding will also be available for the seven eligible councils including Lismore, Richmond Valley, Ballina, Kyogle, Tweed, Byron and Clarence to assess any flood contamination to public areas as well as providing resources to manage contamination from future natural disasters.

Residents concerned about their land are encouraged to apply for the free assessment which will determine the condition of the soil on their property and if contaminants are found, Mr Chappel said there would be support given to ensure lands are made safe and clean.

The NSW EPA runs a number of programs to help regions impacted by floods, with the Shoreline Clean-up Program removing more than 17,800 cubic metres of flood debris from waterways in an area extending from the Queensland border to the Illawarra.

The Flood Recovery Program for Contaminated Lands is jointly funded by the State and Commonwealth disaster recovery funding agreement (DRFA). Residents can now apply here.