New flood warning system for Burringbar, Mooball, Crabbes Creek explained

A new flood warning system is being rolled out in rural Tweed towns. Here’s how the new system will work and how you can register for automated alerts. WATCH THE VIDEO

While seemingly no force on earth could stop the devastating 2022 floods that swallowed the Northern Rivers, three Tweed Shire villages will get a timely heads up next time calamity is at the door.

Tweed Shire Council, with help from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, the State Emergency Service and other government agencies, is launching a new automated flash flood system for Burringbar, Mooball and Crabbes Creek following a successful trial last year.

The system consists of gauges that will automatically provide residents with advanced notice of approaching floods by complementing advice from the SES and the Bureau of Meteorology.

The system works by taking information from the gauges, and overlaying that with rainfall prediction products and soil moisture data.

All of this data feeds into a flood prediction forecaster.

Crabbes Creek Community Hall vice-president Reg Robinson has been a local for more than 35 years and said the new system would position the town to prepare.

Crabbes Creek General Store experienced extensive flooding in the 2017 and 2022 floods.

“We’ve been using a system for quite a while now, and a lot of locals in Crabbes Creek use it,” he said.

“When a flood starts to happen, the locals know when it’s going to happen and how big – generally, this system is on par with that.”

Mr Robinson said as a result of flooding, Crabbes Creek Primary School was currently being lifted.

However, one of the owners of Crabbes General Store, Shane Vincent, had doubts regarding the new warning system.

“I guess it’s good if it works, it’ll be good if it definitely tells us it works,” Mr Vincent said.

Inspector Jack Frost, mayor Chris Cherry, stormwater engineer Leon McClean, Philip Taylor and Reg Robinson all hope the new automated flood alerts will give residents ample warning for floods.

“In previous times, it’s never really warned us – in 2022, it sent us a text telling us to evacuate when we went through the worst part of it.

“We have our own system – my wife has bricks down on the hill down there when (water) gets to the top, we move our garage stuff and then start lifting stuff.”

SES Murwillumbah Unit Commander Inspector Grant ‘Jack’ Frost said the aim was to protect the community, noting other local governments using the model forecasting including Paramatta, but said it was not extensive throughout NSW.

“There’s definitely scope for other councils and other organisations to research and install these sorts of flash flooding systems,” he said

“It‘s fantastic we’ve got this flash flood warning system, but it’s of little value unless people subscribe to it.”

Mr Frost also acknowledged the considerable role community groups play, such as the Crabbes Creek and Burringbar Community Resilience teams.

Crabbes Creek is known to locals to flood and is expected to benefit from the new automated flood warning system.

“Without that local connection, we’re a little bit hamstrung being based in Murwillumbah,” he said.

“Most roads are flooded, and we can’t get out to these communities”.

Tweed Shire Council engineer for flooding and stormwater, Leon McLean, said it was no secret Crabbes Creek, Burringbar and Mooball were prone to flash flooding.

“The Bureau of Meteorology does not provide flood warnings for flash flood catchments,” Mr McLean said.

“That leaves the communities here with little to no warning or time to take action to protect life and property.”

Crabbes Creek General Store was hit by flood waters in the 2017 and 2022 floods.

Tweed Shire Council mayor Chris Cherry thanked the community for its input and for showing the shire what residents wanted to know to prepare for floods.

“It‘s a great step forward in our resilience in our flood preparedness and is a great thing for this community,” she said

“Having that information about what level it is, when it’s likely to occur … is so important.”

Burringbar, Mooball and Crabbes Creek residents have been urged by Tweed City Council to register for flood alerts ahead of the coming wet season at tweed.nsw.gov.au/flood-alert.