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Tweed Shire Council is inviting feedback from landowners on two options to prevent saltwater from contaminating the Bray Park Weir pool, the Tweed’s main water source.
Council’s Water and Wastewater Business and Assets Manager Michael Wraight said work on the Bray Park Weir was essential to prevent saltwater contamination of the Tweed Shire’s water supply. Saltwater contamination can occur due to rising sea levels and more frequent sea level anomalies, which cause the weir to be overtopped.
“The Bray Park Weir is a vital barrier that prevents saltwater from mixing with our fresh water supply but is at risk of being overtopped by higher tides and sea level changes,” Mr Wraight said.
“From the start of 2017, there have been 90 overtopping tidal events, with 66 requiring our workers to place concrete blocks along the weir to prevent saltwater from entering the weir pool.
"This is a short-term fix that’s a safety risk for our staff. It also disrupts fish movements in the river.
"We need to find a long-term solution for protecting the weir pool, which is where we draw drinking water for the vast majority of households and businesses across the Tweed.
“We’re now asking landowners potentially impacted by raising the weir to provide feedback on two proposed options: raising the weir by 800 mm or by 1,300 mm.”
Council has sent letters to potentially impacted landowners advising them on how they can have their say about the two options. Submissions close at 4 pm on 22 November 2024.
Mr Wraight said the proposed options aimed to reduce the risk of saltwater contaminating the weir pool for decades to come.
“Raising the weir by 1,300 mm would give us the most effective protection until 2100,” he said.
“Raising it by 800 mm would last until around 2050, which means we’d likely need to revisit the issue again in coming decades.”
An independent assessment into the impacts of raising the weir has identified water levels of the Tweed River during floods would be slightly higher immediately upstream of the weir, yet the increase further upstream would be minimal.
“There would be a 10 mm rise in water levels near Byangum Bridge during flood events if the weir were raised by 1,300 mm,” Mr Wraight said.
“We need to focus on a long-term solution that safeguards our water supply and reduces the need for regular and risky interventions while balancing environmental impacts and community needs.”
Feedback from the consultation will be included in a report to Council in coming months.
For more information including a map of affected areas, visit yoursaytweed.com.au/BrayParkWeir
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