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NEWS Northern Rivers – Flood Inquiry Update
By Hollie Mariconte
The NSW government has just published the full report with the 28 recommendations of this flood investigation. The recommendations outlined in the report are intended to provide practical solutions to government authorities and flood-affected communities, in preparation of future floods.
Some of the recommendations are as follows: Knowledge resources to support flood management Climate and weather research Flood rescue capability Resilience NSW and recovery The Community First Responders Program NSW disaster app Task Force Hawk SES and RFS back-office merger Flood education Landholders can access information on previous disasters Risk-based approach to calculating flood planning level Disaster adaptation plans for all towns Simplify the planning system disaster provisions Relocating communities most at risk with good homes and amenities Essential services and floodplain infrastructure
You can find more information on the recommendations HERE:
Satellite image of Woodburn taken on April 23, 2021. (Source: Esri, Maxar, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, IGN, and the GIS User Community. Provided by Geospatial Intelligence Pty Ltd)
The NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet said: “We now have a pathway to better prepare for, respond to and recover from future floods in NSW that also builds on the ongoing flood recovery efforts that are taking place.”
Many flood-affected residents in the Northern Rivers area became angry and frustrated with the lack of flood warnings and recovery efforts during the Feb/March event. Many hope this investigation will be an important step in ensuring that this mismanagement will not be repeated in the future. Many residents were also hoping to hear more about land swaps and buy back schemes, yet this information was lacking in the inquiry.
There is a class action being prepared from hundreds of flood-affected residents in the NSW north coast town of Woodburn; many residents registered in the first 24 hours. They are threatening to ‘sue’ the state and federal governments over concerns that the new Pacific Highway worsened the recent floods by acting as a ‘dam wall’.
The February floods exceeded all previous flood heights in the area and many residents claim it was due to the new highway, which was completed at the end of 2020. Residents could see the accumulation of water which formed as a result of heavy rain, with the highway acting as a dam. The dam of water accumulated even before the rising floodwaters in Lismore had reached them. Water remained stagnant in the area for more than twelve days, unlike other areas where water decreased within 2-3 days.
Prior to the construction of the new highway, residents had expressed concerns about its construction so close to the floodplains. Furthermore, it was clear that drainage ports would not be sufficient for the flow of water in the event of flooding. ‘Transport for NSW’ said that it will review data from the recent floods to see if the events match the highway upgrade modelling.
Satellite image of Woodburn taken on March 7, 2022.(Source: © CNES (2022), Distribution Airbus DS, provided by Geospatial Intelligence Pty Ltd)
The Bureau of Meteorology had estimated 250 millimetres of rain for this area, yet the total rainfall far exceeded these estimations. This left Northern Rivers residents and emergency services completely unprepared for the unfolding disaster.
Residents who have lived their entire lives in the region, have never seen or been affected by such floods and now require answers.
So many people are trying to move on with their lives, yet seven months after the floods, many still live in the empty shell of their home, awaiting their insurance settlements. Some people try to sell and relocate, but with rising interest rates and lower property prices, this is proving to be extremely difficult.
Many businesses are re-opening to bring money back to small towns, which is positive for the region. Some are moving to newer locations that offer second floor accommodation and others to towns that have not been so affected.
Flood centres are still operational in Woodburn, Coraki, Wardell and Lismore, which help residents with food, cleaning products, clothing and so on. People also remain in high spirits regardless of the current climate, projected increase in energy prices, higher interest rates and the latest weather forecasts indicating a very wet spring. Many hope that these centres will remain operational for as long as possible.
Image Credit: Hollie Mariconte
