Volunteer engineers to help Northern Rivers residents with flood recovery

Community and not-for-profit organisations are teaming up to bring more free expertise to rebuild flood ravished Northern Rivers. Here are the details.

Residents impacted by the devastating Northern Rivers floods will have access to free engineering advice in a bid to help them get back on their feet.

The advice, which will be available for ongoing problems involving landslides, washed-out crossings and even structural assessments of damaged homes, will assist residents in helping them take further steps towards redesign, repair, rebuilding and remediation.

The brainchild behind the new partnership is Holding Hands Under Ground (HHUG), the organisation behind Renew Fest and managers of The Ark community-led flood hub in Mullumbimby.

Director of HHUG, Ms Goninan said due to the scale of the disaster they are beginning in the Byron and Tweed shires.

L-R: Lead engineer from Engineers Without Borders, Gavin Blakey, Holding Hands underground director Ella Rose Goninan, and engineer Dominic Cavanough.

“We will begin there and then start to deploy across Lismore, Richmond Valley and Kyogle,” she said.

“Gavin Blakey is Brisbane based and has come down a few times already.

“Dominic Cavanough is based in Uki and he is helping up until September.”

Ms Goninan said the project had just begun, with the first engineers attending a few key sites to determine the scope and breadth of damage – from housing through to landslides and causeway damage.

“That will determine what engineers we need,” she said.

“Engineers Without Borders put out calls nationally and they are getting interest already from around the country and then EWB also partner with major engineering companies who offer pro bono support through EWB.

Engineers Without Borders engineer Dominic Cavanough at a flood-damaged causeway at Uki.

“It’s a partnership that pays tribute to the many ways people have come together locally and nationally to help wherever help is needed.”

Engineers Without Borders is a non-profit organisation that will be recruiting engineers for as long as required.

The chief executive officer of EWB Australia, Eleanor Loudon, said the impact of the floods on the people of Northern NSW was still evident.

“We are enjoying working with HHUG on developing the processes and pathways for this new avenue for our organisation,”

“We look forward to complementing the activities of community groups, businesses and all levels of government who have been supporting their communities since the floods earlier this year. “

Various engineers and professionals have already signed up, including Brisbane-based Gavin Blakey, a long-time member of EWB who is assisting with technical co-ordination across the region as field lead engineer.

“I stepped up for this project because I saw the devastation that had occurred in the Northern Rivers as a result of the floods,” Mr Blakey said.

“I look forward to working with other engineers to share our skills and experience to help communities to recover and prosper.”

Ms Goninan said it was an affirmation of the enduring power of community despite all odds.

“We are only strong together,” Ms Goninan said.

Originally published as Volunteer engineers to help Northern Rivers residents with flood recovery