Northern NSW floods: Tweed Council’s priority flood projects revealed

The Tweed Shire Council has released the top priority flood mitigation projects which require urgent funding from the state.

Tweed Shire Council have identified a number of flood mitigation projects that should be prioritised following the February – March flood events at an expected bill of more than $32.2 million.

The biggest project on the list is the Raising and Extension of Tweed Heads South Levee, expected to cost $27 million over a 30 year period.

Tweed Shire Council Roads and Stormwater Manager Danny Rose said the exposure of Tweed communities to flood risk is a major ongoing concern for council.

“Council has progressed several flood studies and risk management plans over the past 15 years, and has prioritised many initiatives following major flooding in 2017,” Mr Rose said.

“The 2022 flood has again highlighted the need to proceed with many of the recommended actions from these risk management plans, and address the flood risk situation as a matter of urgency, with the expansion of the NSW Government’s voluntary house buyback scheme a priority.

Tweed Shire Council's Roads and Stormwater Manager Danny Rose.

“Raising of the South Tweed Levee is a recommendation of the Tweed Valley Floodplain Risk Management Plan, with council having lodged a grant application to fund this study in 2021.”

The current levee provides protection for around a 1:20 year flood, and the investigation would involve the costs and benefits of raising the levee to a 1:100 level.

Mr Rose said this would help protect a large number of residential and commercial properties from flooding and increase warning times for evacuation.

“However, it would involve significant investment in stormwater infrastructure, such as pumping stations, so water held behind the levee can be disposed to the river without causing more flooding,” he said.

“This project would have some significant environmental and cultural heritage constraints that would need consideration.”

Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin asked general managers to revisit project lists from last December, particularly in the wake of the February 28 2022 record flood that left Lismore, Murwillumbah, other towns and rural areas reeling from the sheer scale of devastation and loss.

“I have written to the Premier, Deputy Premier Paul Toole, Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke, and Minister for Water Kevin Anderson, to make them aware of the urgent need for funding and action,” Ms Saffin said.

“I told them proposed flood mitigation works which were afoot last December – the subject of Ministerial representations – should be fast-tracked as they are only going to become more costly exercises if left to languish on the shelf.

“There are some new projects included, post the February-March floods, which require the NSW Government’s serious consideration.”