Northern Rivers floods: Federal, NSW governments announce ‘state-first’ $312m disaster recovery program

Northern Rivers community leaders have welcomed a plan to gold-plate roads and bridges post-floods - but not all are pleased after residents stormed a NSW Minister making the announcement at Lennox Head.

One-year on from the devasting north NSW floods, a new $312.5 million package hopes to build infrastucture to last. Picture: Dan Peled

Flood-stricken Northern Rivers communities will be able to repair roads and infrastructure to a more resilient standard under a joint federal and state government disaster recovery program.

Not all are happy, though.

North Coast farmers are concerned that road raising could exacerbate localised flooding and destroy their already flood-threatened crops in future extreme weather events.

More than $42 million in funding has been declared for councils in the Northern Rivers and Northern Tablelands regions.

Previously, councils could only apply for funding that would help them restore infrastructure to what it was before it was damaged.

Today’s funding announcement at Lennox Head. Picture: Gianni Francis

Now, councils will be able to use the funding to not only repair, but rebuild transport infrastructure to become more resilient – ending a cycle of repair-damage-repair.

Speaking in Lennox Head today, NSW Regional Transport Minister Sam Farraway said the new policy was a “no brainer” as it would keep the Northern Rivers and North Coast “moving forward”.

“For every $1 that we spend on flood mitigation or betterment with road infrastructure, it is proven that we will save $10 on that $1 investment in recovery,” Mr Farraway said.

NSW Regional Transport Minister Sam Farraway. Picture: Gianni Francis

But Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said this policy change should have been put in place before the 2022 floods.

“I’ve been banging on to relevant Ministers about the need for betterment since before the Black Summer bushfires and before last year’s flooding,” Ms Saffin said.

“At least we have it now and it should become the norm for how we ‘build back better’, a phrase I actually coined in a conversation with Premier Dominic Perrottet and which has stuck.”

The NSW and federal governments have set aside $312.5 million for 57 projects across 26 disaster-declared local government areas (LGAs) in Northern NSW.

Ballina Shire has received funding to build a bridge and raise flood-prone Ross Lane in Lennox Head.

Ross Lane, Lennox Head, flooding in 2022. The road is one of the 57 successful projects as part of the new Regional Roads and Transport Recovery Package. Picture: Supplied

But local land owners are concerned the project will “create a dam” that will exacerbate flooding on nearby properties.

Bill McInerney and Aran Dorey said the project could be great for the entire community - if it was done right.

But they both expressed concern that raising the road could have unintended side effects on water flows that could impact nearby properties.

Bill McInerney and Aran Dorey express concern road raising could flood nearby farms and homes. Picture: Gianni Francis

“I just hope we don’t find out the hard way,” Mr Dorey said.

Mayor Sharon Cadwallader said the two most important things to the community were housing and drains after the floods destroyed both.

“People need a roof over their heads,” she said.

“Farmers need to be able to protect their crops from over spilling drains.

“We need to get onto that, it needs to be funded now.”

Earlier: February 27, 5am

The federal and NSW governments have revealed a state-first disaster recovery program, with the initial infrastructure projects already approved.

Following last year’s floods, $312.5 million was set aside as part of a new Regional Road and Transport Recovery Package for 26 disaster-declared councils in northern NSW to help them “build back better”.

Now, in what is described as the first-of-its-kind program, councils will be able to use the funding to rebuild transport infrastructure to become more resilient.

Previously, councils could only apply for funding that would help them restore infrastructure to what it was before it was damaged.

“The best example is a timber bridge which gets washed away by flood, at the moment we can only replace it with another timber bridge – which is ridiculous,” NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Sam Farraway said.

Flood-damaged roads in the Ballina shire. Monday's announcement means councils can now build with resilience and mitigation in mind. Picture: Supplied

Minister Sam Farraway (right) surveys the damage after the February 2022 floods across the Northern Rivers and Ballina Shire. Picture: Supplied

“You ask any general manager, they’re tired of repairing the same things every time – we’re not going to be able to stop flooding or bushfires, but we can stop building inferior infrastructure that doesn’t last.”

The package means roads and bridges can be improved to stand the test of time as the governments revealed the 57 projects that had been approved for funding across 24 of the eligible 26 councils.

“Under this program, roads and transport infrastructure will be rebuilt to a higher standard, making it more resilient to future disasters,” Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said.

Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt. Picture: Liam Kidston

In Lennox Head, flood-prone Ross Ln has received funding to build a new bridge and raise the road, and the shire’s mayor said the package “would be welcomed across all corners of the Northern Rivers”.

“These flood mitigation upgrade works will mean fewer road closures and allow Ross Ln to function as a critical evacuation and supply route during emergency weather events,” Ballina Shire Council mayor Sharon Cadwallader said.

Mr Farraway said it was designed to “do right by communities” and “build back better”.

“It is an enormous change to the way governments respond to natural disasters and is the first time we have built improved resilience into our natural disaster recovery programs,” he said.

“It made little sense to see a road washed away in one flood and for a council to repair it, only for it to wash away again in the next.”

The 57 projects, Mr Farraway said, were not dependent on the outcome of March’s state election, but instead the realisation of “12 months of work” to put the funding into action and would be felt in the wallets of councils across the state.

“This is about practical solutions, for every dollar spent on betterment infrastructure, we save more dollars in the recovery,” he said.

The $312.5 million package, split 50:50 between the federal and state governments, is a pilot program for northern NSW, with hopes it could then be rolled out across the entirety of NSW.