NSW floods: Lismore, Ballina, Grafton, Byron, Tweed, Richmond Valley, Kyogle updates
Towns are running out of drinking water, councils are battling with destroyed roads and broken sewage systems and schools are closed as catastrophic floods batter northern NSW. Here’s the latest on the flood-affected towns.
Mid-North Coast
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Floods and wild weather have closed schools, courthouses, businesses and roads across northern NSW as the region braces to count the cost of the unprecedented weather event.
Public and independent primary and high schools are shut across the north coast from the Clarence Valley to the Tweed, with only a limited number of Catholic schools providing some supervision for students.
Lismore and Murwillumbah Connected Learning Centre TAFE campuses are now closed until further notice, while Murwillumbah, Casino, Kingscliff and Ballina TAFE campuses will be shut for the rest of the week.
Lismore, Byron Bay, Ballina, Casino and Murwillumbah Courthouses remain shut until at least March 4.
Floodwaters have cut off a number of roads across the region, with parts of Mullumbimby, Bungawalbin and Yamba completely cut off due to roads underwater.
Lismore state Labor MP Janelle Saffin – who was herself forced to swim to escape her inundated property – has now confirmed initial flood disaster assistance is coming from the federal and NSW governments.
Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed LGA residents will be eligible for a number of payments and allowances.
The Disaster Recovery Payment of $1000 per adult and $400 per child is not means-tested and will be available to anyone impacted by a flood event.
A Disaster Recovery Allowance of $677 per fortnight for up to 13 weeks will be available for people who lose income as a direct result of the floods.
Residents in the nominated LGAs can apply for payments and check their eligibility on the Service NSW website.
“I will continue to lobby for support for our communities and will update the community as more information comes through,” Ms Saffin wrote on Facebook.
Essential Energy is reporting widespread power outages from Grafton to Tweed, with thousands affected by faults, fallen wires and other technical issues provoked by the wild weather.
Water access is under pressure across the flood-affected regions, with Tweed Shire Council asking residents to restrict water use to essential needs such as food preparation, drinking and personal hygiene.
Uki, South Murwillumbah and Dunbible residents are required to boil their water before using it.
Ballina Shire Council confirmed high rainfall and tidal impacts were also putting “extreme pressure” on pump stations and wastewater networks, with residents asked to minimise water use through kitchen taps, showers, washing and toilet flushing.
Catastrophic flooding in Lismore and Nimbin has also affected Lismore City Council’s water and sewage systems, with residents asked to conserve as much water as possible as the council is unable to replenish water reservoirs.
“Nimbin has approximately 24 hours of water supply left based on normal usage rates and residents are asked to conserve water,” the council said on Monday afternoon.
“The Perradenya Estate has about a 10-day supply.”
Sewage treatment plants at South Lismore and East Lismore are not fully operational and have been severely affected by the current events.
Water is also disrupted in Kyogle Shire LGA, where a broken water main on the Summerland Way has cut off water to areas south of the railway bridge.
“Conditions are very difficult to undertake the required repairs, but staff are persevering and hope to restore water supply today,” the council said on Facebook.
“We ask that residents affected be prepared for the situation where we are unable to restore their water supply today.”
In the Richmond Valley LGA, flooding also affected the council’s water supply as water reservoirs cannot be replenished until generator power is established to the raw water pump station.
Ballina has been heavily impacted since Tuesday morning, when residents in low-lying parts of Ballina were directed to evacuate due to increasing flood levels.
The Richmond River at Woodburn is expected to reach 5.3m on Tuesday, with major flooding anticipated above the March 1974 peak of 4.92m.
Low-lying areas of Ballina, North Ballina, West Ballina and areas south of Ballina towards Wardell were expected to be the most adversely affected.
Byron Shire Council is now assessing damage to local roads, causeways and bridges, acknowledging that a number of areas within the LGA remain inaccessible because of the floods.
“We know people in Byron Shire are strong and resilient and we will get through the days, weeks and months ahead together,” the council wrote on Facebook.
“Extreme caution must be used when travelling in the Shire today, do not travel through flood waters.”
Kyogle Shire Council said floods had caused multiple landslides, washed out bridges and causeways, scoured road surfaces and a significant amount of downed trees and debris.
“Residents are asked to continue to avoid all non-essential travel as we work to restore access,” the council said on Facebook.
“There will be areas that council staff cannot access, and we ask that people report issues they see to help us identify the full extent of the damage and make decisions on priority repairs.”
Approximately 62,000 homes and businesses on the state’s north coast have also been affected by outages on the National Broadband Network.
“More than 56,000 homes and businesses are currently impacted due to a power outage at a Fibre Access Node in Woodburn, which provides fixed line services to homes and business in Tweed Heads, Kingscliff, Currumbin Valley, Byron Bay, Brunswick Heads, Ballina, Lennox Head and Evans Head,” a spokeswoman said in a statement.
“This site had been running on battery power, however the battery has been exhausted.”
The site cannot be accessed due to floodwaters and the NBN is working with the third party that owns and operates the site to restore services as soon as it is safe.
“The remaining impacted customers, approximately 6000, are around the Lismore area, representing a decrease from more than 12,000 from late yesterday,” the spokeswoman said.
“We are working to restore the remaining services in this area as soon as possible, but this may take some time due to floodwaters still making site access difficult and unsafe in some areas.”
SCHOOLS CLOSED
Afterlee Public School
Albert Park Public School
Albion Park High School
Alstonville High School
Alstonville Public School
Ballina Coast High School
Ballina Public School
Bangalow Public School
Banora Point High School
Banora Point Public School
Barkers Vale Public School
Bexhill Public School
Bilambil Public School
Blakebrook Public School
Bogangar Public School
Bonalbo Central School
Broadwater Public School
Brunswick Heads Public School
Bulli High School
Burringbar Public School
Byron Bay High School
Byron Bay Public School
Cabbage Tree Island Public School
Caldera School
Caniaba Public School
Carool Public School
Casino High School
Casino Public School
Casino West Public School
Chatsworth Island Public School
Chillingham Public School
Clunes Public School
Coffee Camp Public School
Collins Creek Public School
Condong Public School
Coorabell Public School
Copmanhurst Public School
Coraki Public School
Corndale Public School
Cowper Public School
Crabbes Creek Public School
Crystal Creek Public School
Cudgen Public School
Dapto High School
Dorroughby Environmental Education Centre
Drake Public School
Dungay Public School
Dunoon Public School
Duranbah Public School
Durrumbul Public School
Empire Vale Public School
Eureka Public School
Evans River Community School
Fernleigh Public School
Fingal Head Public School
Gillwinga Public School
Goolmangar Public School
Goonellabah Public School
Goonengerry Public School
Gulmarrad Public School
Harwood Island Public School
Jiggi Public School
Jilliby Public School
Kanahooka High School
Kingscliff High School
Kingscliff Public School
Kyogle High School
Larnook Public School
Lawrence Public School
Leeville Public School
Lennox Head Public School
Lismore Public School
Lismore South Public School
Macdonald Valley Public School
Maclean High School
Maclean Public School
Main Arm Upper Public School
Manifold Public School
Medlow Public School
Melville High School
Modanville Public School
Mullumbimby High School
Mullumbimby Public School
Mummulgum Public School
Murwillumbah East Public School
Murwillumbah High School
Murwillumbah Public School
Newrybar Public School
Nimbin Central School
Ocean Shores Public School
Old Bonalbo Public School
Orama Public School
Palmers Island Public School
Pottsville Beach Public School
Rappville Public School
Rollands Plains Upper Public School
Rosebank Public School
Southern Cross Public School
Southern Cross School of Distance Ed
Stokers Siding Public School
Stratheden Public School
Tabulam Public School
Telegraph Point Public School
Terranora Public School
Teven-Tintenbar Public School
The Channon Public School
The Risk Public School
The Rivers Secondary College, Kadina High Campus
The Rivers Secondary College, Lismore High Campus
The Rivers Secondary College, Richmond River High Campus
Towamba Public School
Tregeagle Public School
Tucabia Public School
Tumbulgum Public School
Tuntable Creek Public School
Tweed Heads Public School
Tweed Heads South Public School
Tweed River High School
Tyalgum Public School
Uki Public School
Ulmarra Public School
Upper Coopers Creek Public School
Upper Lansdowne Public School
Urbenville Public School
Wardell Public School
Warilla North Public School
Whian Whian Public School
Wiangaree Public School
Wilson Park School
Wilsons Creek Public School
Windang Public School
Wollongbar Public School
Wollumbin High School
Woodburn Public School
Wooli Public School
Woonona High School
Woronora River Public School
Wyong Creek Public School
Wyrallah Public School
Wyrallah Road Public School
Yamba Public School.
TAFES CLOSED
Lismore (until March 4)
Casino (until March 4)
Murwillumbah (until March 4)
Ballina (until March 2)
Kingscliff (until March 2)
Maclean (until March 2)
Trenayr (until March 2)
COURTHOUSES CLOSED
Lismore Local Court
Maclean Local Court
Ballina Local Court
Byron Bay Local Court
Casino Local Court
Murwillumbah Local Court
ROADS CLOSED
Failford Road has closed in both directions between The Lakes Way and Pacific Highway at Failford, south of Taree.
Other major road closures remain in place, including:
Casino to South Lismore: The Bruxner Highway is closed in both directions. It is also closed between Tenterfield and Mallanganee and between West Ballina and Uralba.
Cudgera Creek to Chinderah: the M1 Pacific Motorway is closed in both directions.
Bangalow to Ewingsdale: all northbound lanes of the M1 Pacific Motorway are closed. Northbound traffic is being diverted onto Hinterland Way to Ewingsdale to travel towards Byron Bay or turnaround. Only local traffic is allowed north of Ewingsdale.
Glenugie to Cumbalum: the Pacific Highway is closed in both directions.
Lismore CBD: Roads are closed including Dawson Street and Ballina Road.
Lismore to Bangalow: Bangalow Road is closed.
Grafton to Casino: Summerland Way is closed. Summerland Way is also closed at Fairy Hill.
South Grafton to Clarenza: Big River Way is closed. Big River Way is also closed at Tyndale.
Corindi Beach: Solitary Islands Way is closed.
Thora to Dorrigo Mountain: Waterfall Way is closed due to a landslide.
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