We have partnered with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to deliver the Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative (NRRI).

The $11.4 million initiative is focused on understanding climate, catchment and hydrological drivers in the area. It also aims to find evidence-based ways to reduce flooding in the Richmond River catchment.

Learn more about the latest update on the proposed scenarios for testing below.

Progress

Under phase one, CSIRO undertook research and community consultation to inform two reports. The first report was the Rapid Prioritisation for Flood Resilience. The results informed which projects received funding under the Australian Government’s $150 million Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program.

Under phase two, CSIRO has mapped the:

• Richmond and Tweed rivers and parts of the Brunswick River, and
• the landscape of the entire Northern Rivers region.

On 28 June 2024, the data was made publicly available through GeoScience Australia’s Elvis website.

Further information on the NRRI is available on CSIRO’s website.

Hydrodynamic model

The hydrodynamic model for the Richmond River catchment has now been finalised. The details on how the model was developed and validated are publicly available.

The model is now being used by CSIRO to support the next stage of this project. This involves the identification and assessment of a range of potential flood mitigation measures in the Richmond River catchment.

Proposed scenarios for testing 

To support this process, community consultation took place from 31 July - 15 August 2025. This included online submissions and face to face sessions. This process gave community members living in the Richmond River catchment a chance to:

• Hear directly from CSIRO about the model and its findings
• Ask questions and engage with technical experts
• Provide input on possible flood mitigation measures (PDF 5.47MB).

Further information on the outcomes of CSIRO’s analysis process and the proposed scenarios will be made available through our website.

Community members are also invited to join a drop-in session where CSIRO experts will be on hand to:

• share key findings
• answer any questions related to the scenarios.

Sessions will take place from 22 – 24 September 2025 in Lismore, Casino, Kyogle, Woodburn, and Ballina. You can register online.

After the drop-in sessions, the scenarios will be progressed for modelling. In June 2026 a final report will be released outlining the modelling results. This will contain recommendations on future flood mitigation options for the Richmond River catchment.

Timeline