Lismore Council votes for independent flood review

LISMORE City Council moved unanimously to lobby the State Government to launch an independent review into the management of the March 31 floods.

Floods Aerial Views Lismore Photo. Picture: David Nielsen

LISMORE City Council moved unanimously to lobby the State Government to launch an independent review into the management of the March/April floods at tonight's meeting.

Councillor Bill Moorhouse put forward the motion ask NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Troy Grant to arrange a review in light of the "high damage costs and community distress caused by the March flood".

"I'm not having a go at the (State Emergency Services) ground staff they do a terrific job it's just their management people that just don't seem to understand the mitigation of risk and how they should do it," Cr Moorhouse said.

Cr Moorhouse presented a line graph at the council meeting that provided a timeframe conveying when the levee tipped against the Bureau of Meterology predictions and the SES evacuations.

"The main reason for having a levee bank is first off all to stop the small floods out and second to buy time for when there is a big flood so people can get out fairly safely," he said.

The motion also requests a presentation by SES managers about how future floods in Lismore will be handled.

It was carried the presentation will include details about proposed evacuation warnings and messages as well as evacuation timeframes when the levee is predicted to be overtopped.

Cr Moorhouse mandated the independent review and presentation be completed by November 1.

Flood Plan Management Committee member, Graham Asky backed Cr Moorhouse's motion during the public access period.

Mr Asky claimed previous internal reviews into the 2001 and 2009 floods by the SES weren't effective.

"I think we must review the SES's actions, it has to be done independently because the internal reviews don't seem to work

He also suggested the SES be "relived from the duty of ordering evacuations".

Councillors Nancy Casson and Greg Bennett were absent from the meeting.