Flood inquiry to hold public forums in the Tweed, Lismore, Ballina, Mullumbimby

The NSW Upper House is making the trek to the Northern Rivers to ask the community for their stories to get to the bottom of what went wrong during the flood disaster. Here are the dates to make your voice heard.

The NSW Upper House is making its way to the Northern Rivers to get to the bottom of the flood disaster.

A select committee of seven members from the NSW government, crossbench and opposition will investigate the lead up to and response of emergency services during the floods.

This will work separate to the independent flood inquiry being led by former NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller and scientist Mary O’Kane who visited Lismore earlier this month.

The committee will visit three locations in the Northern Rivers in the next two weeks to gather evidence at public hearings and forums before making recommendations to the government in a report by August 9.

Flood affected residents will get the chance to make their voices heard at another Upper House flood inquiry. Picture: Cath Piltz

“The committee is seeking the stories of those affected by the floods as well as your views on the preparation, co-ordination and response by government agencies to the floods,” the inquiry call-out says.

They also want to hear about the “role, composition and resourcing of key government agencies involved in the flood response and coordination between various stakeholders including the state government, federal governments, local governments, private sector organisations and the community”.

Labor’s Walt Secord will chair the inquiry and his deputy will be Shooters, Fishers and Farmers member Mark Banasiak.

Other members include Scott Barrett (Nationals), Catherine Cusack (Liberal), Cate Faehrmann (Greens), Rod Roberts (One Nation) and Penny Sharpe (Labor).

The public forums will be broadcast live on the Parliament’s website and members of the public have been invited to attend.

Dates, times, locations of Upper House inquiry

BALLINA SHIRE

Date: Monday May 30

Where: Ballina RSL

When: 4.30pm

LISMORE CITY

Date: Tuesday May 31

Where: Lismore Workers Club

When: 6.45pm

TWEED SHIRE

Date: Wednesday June 1

Where: Murwillumbah Services Club

When: 3.15pm

Independent inquiry visits Byron Shire

The independent flood inquiry led by Mick Fuller and Mary O’Kane is visiting the Byron Shire.

Both Fuller and O’Kane will be attending a public flood forum at Mullumbimby Ex-Services Club at 10.30am on June 6.

The inquiry led by the two independent experts is also examining response times, preparedness, emergency resources and recovery.