The extensive flooding in the northern rivers between late February and early April 2022 led to the deaths of 13 people. More than 4,000 properties were left uninhabitable and another 10,849 were damaged. The total socioeconomic and structural damage is estimated at $16bn.<\/p>\n
The report found additional water detention dams would have reduced flooding by 2.1 metres, but would not have prevented the 3.8 metre over-topping of the Lismore CBD levee in February 2022.<\/p>\n
Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email<\/a><\/p>\n The state and federal governments have not committed to delivering the measures modelled in the report as part of the $11.4m Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative. On Tuesday, they announced a joint $3m feasibility study.<\/p>\n While the report involved community engagement over several years, some Lismore residents have called for alternative measures, including relocating or establishing a second CBD above the flood level.<\/p>\n CSIRO hydrologist Dr Jai Vaze, who led the report, said while implementing the measures in the report would probably be dependent on a business case, detailed architectural proposals and environmental approvals, as well as other flood resilience measures had already been implemented under $150m in federal funding<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can reduce the impact of large floods with strategically located detention and other flood mitigation measures across the entire Richmond River catchment,\u201d he said of Tuesday\u2019s findings.<\/p>\n Matthew Gooley, who operates a menswear business in the Lismore CBD, said the measures in the CSIRO report would be \u2018amazing for Lismore\u2019. Photograph: Christine Tondorf\u2018Businesses have gone\u2019<\/p>\n On Tuesday, Lismore residents had mixed reactions to the reports\u2019 findings.<\/p>\n Matthew Gooley, the operator of a family-run menswear business that has been in the Lismore CBD since 1957 and which lost an estimated \u201cmillions in stock\u201d in the floods, said the measures considered in the report would cost a \u201clot of money\u201d but would be \u201camazing for Lismore\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cTake two metres off [2022 levels] and it goes back to normal flood [heights], not getting in people\u2019s top levels\u201d.<\/p>\n Paul Morgan, the operator of Lismore Computer Solutions, which sits next to the river in the CBD, said he was \u201call for it if it works\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThere have been a few interesting ideas over the years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Paul Morgan, the owner of Lismore Computer Solutions. Photograph: Christine Tonforf<\/p>\n Marinda Hayward, who was left homeless by the 2022 floods, said $3m was \u201ca lot of money for a feasibility study\u201d and wanted more spent on practical measures like keeping Lismore\u2019s drains clean.<\/p>\n Irene Guymer, whose daughter\u2019s farm flooded to \u201cnearly the second floor of the house\u201d in 2022, said the measures would be a \u201cwaste of money\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI really do they think would be better off \u2026 shift[ing] the CBD up to Goonellabah where a lot of people \u2026 and businesses have gone.\u201d<\/p>\n Lismore residents Marinda Hayward (left) and Irene Guymer. Photograph: Christine Tondorf<\/p>\n North Lismore artist and musician Jimmy Willing criticised the spending on the report and feasibility study while Lismore was experiencing a housing crisis.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a bit like putting men on the moon while people are starving\u201d.<\/p>\n skip past newsletter promotion<\/a>Free newsletter | When needed<\/p>\n Sign up to Breaking News Australia<\/p>\n Get the most important news as it breaks<\/p>\n after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n \u2018Gives us real hope\u2019<\/p>\n CSIRO used hydrodynamic modelling and analysis of historical events to investigate the impact of two flood mitigation proposals: \u201cBundle 1\u201d, which includes five new water detention systems as well as other upgrades, and \u201cBundle 2\u201d, which includes 10 water detentions across the Richmond Valley, Kyogle, Ballina and Lismore LGAs.<\/p>\n Vaze said he preferred the use of \u201cwater detentions\u201d rather than \u201cdams\u201d to describe the proposed systems, as gates only close when flood waters rise beyond a certain level. \u201cA dam holds water forever. These are only temporary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The report found Bundle 2 delivered the greatest mitigation, including potential reduction of water levels up to 2.1 metres during February 2022 floods, when the flood level in Lismore reached 14.4 metres, the highest on record.<\/p>\n It would not have prevented the city\u2019s CBD levee from overtopping.<\/p>\n The modelling showed water levels could have been reduced by up to 1.7 metres during a flood which followed on 31 March 2022, as well as 1.4 metres during 2017 floods, both holding below levee banks.<\/p>\n State member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, pictured here in 2022, has welcomed the report\u2019s findings. Photograph: Dan Himbrechts\/AAP<\/p>\n The federal minister for emergency management, Kristy McBain, and her NSW counterpart, Janelle Saffin, welcomed the findings, which they said would inform future flood resilience measures.<\/p>\n Saffin, who is the state MP for Lismore, appeared to indicate her support for the 10 new water detention measures.<\/p>\n \u201cMy reading of this report gives us real hope because it shows technically that flood levels can be lowered across all four local government areas in the Richmond River catchment,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n But the NSW Greens upper house member Sue Higginson, a Lismore local, said the report showed that \u201cbillions of dollars in new dams for the Richmond River will not prevent severe flooding\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not renewed hope to think that we can engineer our way out of climate change\u201d.<\/p>\n Higginson called for a \u201cplanned retreat and nature-based solutions\u201d, including replanting forests higher in the river basin, and revegetating and repairing river.<\/p>\n She has proposed transforming the Lismore CBD into a \u201cwetland cultural market hub\u201d, which would involve the removal of buildings.<\/p>\n The federal Nationals MP for Page, Kevin Hogan, who has led the call for engineering works to improve flood resilience since 2022, on Tuesday said the report \u201cdetails how flood mitigation could make our communities safer\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not if we have another flood in our region, it\u2019s when. The CSIRO have provided a solution to keep us safe. The state and federal Labor governments must act on this,\u201d he said in a statement.<\/p>\n Both Higginson and Hogan have been critical of the rollout of the $100m Resilient Lands Program (RLP), set up to provide land for flood-affected residents to relocate their homes, and $880m Resilient Homes Program (RHP), a scheme to buy back homes and fund flood-resilient measures.<\/p>\n Together they are the costliest disaster recovery program in Australian history. The state government has defended the RHP, under which 813 properties have been bought back as of this month, and which has seen controversial demolitions<\/a> and evictions<\/a>. Seventy resilient measures have been completed.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/2998.jpg\")
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