Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program

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Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program

We are supporting the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales to drive long-term resilience by delivering priority community supported projects that mitigate the impact of disasters on communities and economies in the region, and ensure that they are in a better position to recover from future disasters.

The Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program (NRRRP) provides $150 million dollars to the New South Wales (NSW) Government to deliver flood mitigation and resilience projects across seven local government areas (LGAs) impacted by the devastating February – March 2022 flood event.

Projects being delivered under the NRRRP were informed through Phase 1 of the Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative (NRRI) .

On 23 February 2023, the Minister for Emergency Management announced 16 projects, totalling $50 million under Tranche 1 of the NRRRP The 16 projects comprise 41 proposals identified through Phase 1 of the NRRI.

On 28 July 2023 the Minister announced a further 20 projects, with a funding envelope of $100 million under Tranche 2 projects of the NRRRP.

Many of the projects align with recommendations from the NSW Flood Inquiry, and with local floodplain risk mitigation programs. All seven LGAs of the Northern Rivers region – Ballina, Byron, Clarence Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed – will benefit. 

Successful applicants and projects

Projects funded under the NRRRP have been grouped into 4 Streams.

Project description LGA Tranche Australian Government funding total
Regional and local floor level surveys $5,150,000
Addressing data gaps in Floor Level recording Richmond Valley Tranche 2
A regional program to complete floor level surveys for building across all LGAs to input into flood risk assessments. Regional (all 7 LGAs) Tranche 1
Evacuation road infrastructure
A regional assessment of evacuation routes, their capacity and options for infrastructure upgrades across all LGAs. Regional (all 7 LGAs) Tranche 1
Detailed evacuation procedures Tweed Tranche 2
Investigate flood free access to Junction Hill (Grafton) via The Summerland Way Clarence Valley Tranche 2
Investigate Options for South Golden Beach Flood Gate Upgrades Byron Tranche 2
Community flood risk awareness
A regional program to increase community flood risk awareness partnering with all LGAs, including flood risk information campaigns and flood warning signs. Regional (all 7 LGAs) Tranche 1
Project description LGA Tranche Australian Government funding total
Nature Based Solutions
Public Proposal -  Riparian revegetation and reforestation for flood resilience in the Clarence, Richmond, Tweed and Brunswick Catchments Regional (all 7 LGAs) Tranche 2 $11,850,000
Public Proposal - Heal the Rivers Flood Recovery and Landscape Restoration Proposal Regional (all 7 LGAs) Tranche 2
Develop agricultural level guidance Ballina Shire Tranche 2
Project description LGA Tranche Australian Government funding total
Upgrades of existing flood management infrastructure $127,820,000
Combined upgrades to pumps and pump stations (7 projects) Lismore Tranche 1
SGB Flood Pump Generator to provide protection from power failures Byron Tranche 1
Install box culverts through levee near North Street (Grafton) to improve local drainage prior to floodgates closing Clarence Valley Tranche 1
New Pump System within East Murwillumbah Levee to assist with drainage Tweed Tranche 1
Electrify/install SCADA to replace tractor pump to remove stormwater from the CBD Lismore Tranche 1
Fibre connect all flood pump stations Lismore Tranche 1
Lavender Creek Pump Station Upgrade Tweed Tranche 1
Mechanical trash racks at all 3 major pump station inlets to reduce the risk of rubbish and debris causing damage to pumps Lismore Tranche 1
Revitalise South and East Lismore Town Drains Lismore Tranche 2
Public Proposal - Application for Emergency Funding re Lismore Flood Mitigation, Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative (CSIRO Project Group). Lismore Tranche 2
Improve condition of Coraki and Woodburn town drains Richmond Valley Tranche 2
New pump system behind Dorothy Street Tweed Tranche 2
Flood Pumps Maclean and Grafton Clarence Valley Tranche 2
Upgrade Coogera Circuit Detention Byron Tranche 2
Road and Bridge Raisings
Dairy Flat road improvements for better access during and post floods Richmond Valley Tranche 1
Thearles Canal culvert upgrade to improve drainage Richmond Valley Tranche 1
Alma St modification Tweed Tranche 2
Tatham Bridge Raising Richmond Valley Tranche 2
Evacuation Route Raising Ballina Shire Tranche 2
Flood management infrastructure
Earthworks across Lot 4 on Quarry Rd and modification of Condong creek Tweed Tranche 1
Wharf St Pump Station Upgrade Tweed Tranche 1
Preferred Byron Drainage Strategy Construction Byron Tranche 2
Construct stock mounds Clarence Valley Tranche 2
Review internal drainage strategy – Maclean Clarence Valley Tranche 2
Widen Browns Creek flood channel, culvert and re-route services currently restricting flow at Brewster Street Lismore Tranche 2
Project description LGA Tranche Australian Government funding total
Community led resilience and regional/local economic adaptation

Community-led resilience initiatives such as the Community-led Resilience Teams (CRTs) program. This is to ensure that community-led resilience efforts are supported across all LGAs.

CRTs provide a formal structure, direction and guidance which complement community resources, people, and capacity. CRTs enable the collective community voice to be channelled externally benefiting emergency management organisations such as SES, RFS, and Councils.

 Regional (all 7 LGAs) Tranche 1 $3,000,000

Frequently asked questions

Under Phase 1 of the Northern Rivers Resilience Initiative, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) worked with local councils, community groups and other key stakeholders in the region to identify existing project proposals for improving the region’s flood resilience.

CSIRO and Alluvium ranked these projects according to specific criteria and scientific analysis and provided a report to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) detailing prioritised projects.

The selection of Tranche 2 projects was informed by projects identified in Rapid Prioritisation for Flood Resilience in the Northern Rivers region (PDF 7.99MB) report released earlier this year

The total funding for the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program has been committed. We now shift our focus to successfully delivering Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 projects.

We want to thank everyone who submitted their proposals through this program, and recognise their compassion and initiative to protect communities by taking steps to reduce the impact of future disasters. While not every project in the CSIRO Report has been funded from this $150 million allocation, it is a valuable guide for governments of all levels when making funding decisions for the region.

The Government is continuing support for the Northern Rivers region in partnership with the NSW Government and local councils through other programs like the Resilient Homes Fund, the Disaster Ready Fund, and through Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements programs.

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