The new Council depot in South Murwillumbah is a step closer to completion with work commencing on-site at flood-free land at Lundberg Drive (Industry Central).
The depot, which is slated for completion in June 2026, will see Council shift from its current location in Buchanan Street in South Murwillumbah.
Currently the depot houses an array of Council equipment including 50 trucks, 60 operational vehicles and 30 pieces of large plant equipment including backhoes and excavators.
The new depot will be a modern, purpose-built facility designed to support both field operations and office-based teams. Its sustainability features include solar panels and EV charging stations.
This project is part of Council’s innovative land swap agreement which saw 5 local flood-prone businesses, plus Council, allocated sites following an expression of interest process. While the Council is the first to start building works, plans are already in place for many of the businesses to begin construction of their facilities soon.
With its strategic location, the Murwillumbah Depot will streamline operations for Council staff, improve service delivery especially in emergency events, and enable future growth.
The existing facility on Buchanan Street was significantly impacted by flooding, particularly in 2017 and 2022.
The new Murwillumbah Depot is a multi-generational infrastructure investment, with $10 million coming from the Australian and NSW Governments through the Infrastructure Betterment Fund and $23 million from Council.
Comment from Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Kristy McBain
“This is an example of how the Albanese Government is supporting communities to be better prepared for and protected from future natural disasters.
“This investment will help protect crucial heavy machinery, vehicles and facilities from extreme weather, ensuring council can respond and assist communities during an emergency.
“We are proud to work with Tweed Shire Council and the NSW Government to deliver essential recovery projects that not only rebuild but enhance the resilience of our communities for future extreme weather events.”
Comment from Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty
“Relocating Tweed Shire Council’s Murwillumbah depot is a smart investment in the region’s future.
“Moving the depot to a single, elevated site protects vital infrastructure from future floods and ensures Council can keep essential services running when they’re needed most.”
“This is about cutting future recovery costs, keeping people safe, and building resilience into the backbone of local government operations.”
“The Australian and NSW Governments are proud to back projects like this—supporting communities and businesses to rebuild stronger and face the future with confidence.”
Comment from Tweed Shire Mayor Chris Cherry
“Ensuring that our Murwillumbah Depot is safe from floods means that we can serve our community better when they need us most.
“I’m so pleased that the depot will be the first construction in this groundbreaking land swap development and that this program means that we can also support other local business to be safe from flood.”
Comment from Richmond MP Justine Elliot
“As your local MP I’m proud to be delivering $10 million in joint funding from the Federal and NSW Governments towards Tweed Shire Council’s new Murwillumbah depot.
“Our funding is ensuring that the new Tweed Shire Council depot in Murwillumbah is built to last, can better withstand future natural disasters and council can better provide services to the community.”
The Land Swap project at Industry Central has already illustrated its usefulness at times of emergency despite still being in the development phase. The infrastructure and earthworks were just completed in March when Tropical Cyclone Alfred bore down on the Tweed.
At that time, Council invited businesses to move vehicles and equipment to the site to keep them safe from possible floodwaters – and this offer was taken up by a wide array of local businesses. Not only were they able to take advantage of the flood-free parking, but it also meant that they could resume normal activities post-event faster.
Council was able to acquire 14 ha of suitable and appropriately zoned employment lands thanks to $11.3 million in funding from the NSW Government’s Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water (DCCEEW) and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD).
Tweed Shire Council General Manager Troy Green, who was instrumental in creating the Land Swap project, said the precinct was key to building resilience into the Tweed economy.
“This project is evidence that businesses can invest with confidence in the Tweed and is a strong sign that Council is looking at ways to adapt to the impact of climate change by providing flood-risk free, employment-generating land.”
Comment from NSW Minister for Recovery and State Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin
“This is a great example of how we build our communities back stronger. A more resilient depot means council can keep on doing its job during flooding, and it saves ratepayers money too.”