Tweed Mayor considering voluntary house purchase after floods

The Tweed mayor says there needs to be a rethink on zoning and liveability of suburbs which were smashed by flooding. But some residents believe there are other solutions.

Residents around Chinderah still believe in their suburb as discussions of buy back start in the Tweed.

Is it time for parts of Tweed to be moved? The mayor says it’s a discussion that needs to be had.

Chinderah, beside the Tweed River, was one of many suburbs hit hard by flooding in the region.

The area, which has numerous caravan parks, was flooded in 2017 when the Tweed River peaked at 2.3m.

It came even higher this year when the river peaked at 2.95m on February 28.

But despite the area’s known flood risk, Chinderah Village Tourist Park owners Tracey Spargo and son Ben Spargo still believe in the areas liveability.

Ben Spargo and Tracey Spargo at the Chinderah Village Tourist Park say Chinderah is still a liveable suburb, they just need better warning systems. Picture: Liana Walker

“This park will be okay, the houses up the back will be okay - it was just not having any help for the first week was just devastating to everybody,” Mrs Spargo said.

Mr Spargo, who lives on premises, said the park had evacuation plans.

He said the key issue with the most recent flood was the lack of early warning.

“We had no flood warning, which normally we get even on heavy rain but we didn’t get one until 4.20pm on the 28th and it was too late, we couldn’t get out” he said.

He still believes in the liveability of the area.

Rubbish from flood damage around Chinderah. Picture: Liana Walker

“There are some places like Lismore that didn’t have a chance,” he said.

“Chinderah did have a chance, it just didn’t get to take it.”

Wommin Bay Road resident Bernice Landers, who has lived in her house for 25 years with her husband Barry, said she didn’t believe all of the suburb should be bought back - but there was room to help one-storey homeowners.

Her two-storey home managed to survive the flood okay due to high power points on the first floor, however other her neighbours in one-storey homes or living spaces on bottom floors didn’t fare as well.

“People should be a bit more careful about the type of home they build in this area,” she said.

“But I suppose it’s up everybody if they’ve got their land and their house on it and they decide they want to live there, what can you do?

She questioned where people would go instead.

“People say you could sell there and we say if we sold here some other poor fool is going to get flooded,” she said.

The M1 was blocked by flood water at Cudgera between Fingal Road and Chinderah Cudgera Creek Road on February 28. Picture: Tweed-Byron Police District

She said the cost of houses in the area was also a hindrance to many residents, questioning if a buy back offer would cover the cost of a new home nearby.

Mrs Landers raised concerns for residents in areas like Tumbulgum and South Murwillumbah who were also severely impacted by the floods.

“I think it is far too big a problem for the council to buy back everyone that’s badly affected after a flood,” she said.

But Mayor Chris Cherry said buybacks were up for discussion at the council.

Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry says buybacks will be discussed for flood affected land. Picture: Matt Roberts.

“We have to have a look at some of our areas where we have people living and rethink what we’re doing there,” Ms Cherry said.

“I think the definition of stupidity is if you keep doing the same thing and expect a different result.

“But some of those areas are providing the only affordable housing in the shire.”

She said it was something that needed to be considered in areas including Chinderah and South Murwillumbah, which had been devastated by floods twice in five years.

“That’s a very, very difficult conversation to have with community and landholders,” she said.

Ms Cherry said council staff would be looking at the flood modelling in South Murwillumbah to find out if what occurred was expected.

She said ways of flood-proofing the area would also be investigated - including reviewing what happened where the levee was overtopped.

“We can’t just say we’ll build it higher - there are ramifications if you do that also for if it fails,” she said.

“Then things can be even more catastrophic.”

The council offered voluntary house purchases in areas including Bray Park, Burringbar, Mooball, Crabbes Creek and parts of South Murwillumbah along with a land swap for businesses in the industrial state after the 2017 flood.

Railway St in South Murwillumbah. Picture: Liana Walker

“If (those businesses) had been in that area already they wouldn’t have been flooded this time,” Ms Cherry said.

“That’s not to say it’s anyone’s fault - but that really cemented that as a flood mitigation strategy.”

She said the council also needed to reconsider some of zoning in the areas.

“Some areas that are zoned residential that have not been built on yet, like Railway Street, we need to have a close look at,” she said.

“I don’t think it would be responsible to allow people to build in that area.”

Originally published as Tweed Mayor considering voluntary house purchase after floods