4 pm Sunday 29 June to Tuesday 1 July.
The Queens Park sports clubhouse is back operational again after extensive flood resilience measures were carried out.
A strong commitment to flood resilience is paying off across Tweed Shire Council community buildings, with recent upgrades helping local organisations bounce back faster after natural disasters. Key locations like Queens Park sports clubhouse, the Jim Devine precinct and the Murwillumbah saleyards were affected by floodwaters as recently as during Ex-Cyclone Alfred. However, thanks to the resilience upgrades, each facility required little more than a wash out before resuming operations. To date, 25 buildings have undergone flood hardening restoration works following the 2022 flood event. These include the Murwillumbah Community Centre, Vic Bianchetti Clubhouse and the Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre. This work involves a range of practical flood-resilient design measures including using flood-hardy materials, elevating essential services (like electrical and hot water), and incorporating washable finishes. Council Flood Restoration Project Manager Kelly Baker said Council now has a growing portfolio of flood-hardy building across the Shire. “Council’s focus has been on making buildings flood-hardy and fit for the future to minimising clean-up time, reducing waste, and improving recovery capacity,” Ms Basker said. “This approach is delivering significant cost savings, avoiding millions of dollars in post flood clean-up costs. “Building recovery time has been reduced by approximately 30 days. For fully flood-hardened buildings, once floodwaters subside and it’s safe to enter, washout and sanitisation typically takes one day, with the building back in operation the following day.” The Murwillumbah Community Centre, which was heavily impacted by the 2022 flood, has been restored with flood-resilient materials and layout adjustments so that it is now able to act as a dedicated recovery hub for future natural disasters in a matter of days, not months. The Murwillumbah saleyards, across the road from the showgrounds, underwent an extensive flood resilience restoration after the 2022 floods. The facility plays a key role in the Tweed’s livestock industry. George & Fuhrmann livestock sales director Brent Casey said the measures put in place in the sales office in 2024 paid dividends when Ex-Cyclone Alfred hit in March this year. “We had about 1.5m of water go through here but thanks to the resilience measures which were put in place, we were able to be back in action in days instead of weeks,” Mr Casey said. “Lifting the power points and electrics board meant we didn’t lose our weight scales which are a crucial part of our operation. Previously when the floods came through, we would have to get a technician from Lismore to come and recalibrate the scale which cost us thousands.” Mr Casey said the resilience measures meant it was a simple case of giving the office a clean out with a high-pressure hose and switching the power back on, and the yards were back in action. Some of the standard flood-resilient features now being used in these buildings include:
These measures form part of Council’s wider recovery and resilience strategy aimed at future-proofing public infrastructure. Council continues to review all flood prone assets to incorporate similar hardening features wherever feasible. By focusing on flood hardy materials, elevated infrastructure, and easy-clean designs, Tweed Shire is ensuring its community facilities are fit for purpose, faster to recover, and ready for the future. For more information: Visit: Flood recovery update | Tweed Shire Council
George & Fuhrmann livestock sales director Brent Casey indicates the height of water which went through.
The servery area at Queens Park sports clubhouse features flood resilience measures including raising of PowerPoints, epoxy floor covering, rendering of walls and installation of stainless steel benches and sinks.
Photo 1: Queens Park flood restoration work Caption: The Queens Park sports clubhouse is back operational again after extensive flood resilience measures were carried out.
Photo 2: Brent Casey - Murwillumbah saleyards Caption: George & Fuhrmann livestock sales director Brent Casey indicates the height of water which went through.
Photo 3: Queens Park flood restoration work Caption: The servery area at Queens Park sports clubhouse features flood resilience measures including raising of PowerPoints, epoxy floor covering, rendering of walls and installation of stainless steel benches and sinks.
Connection to Council’s Community Strategic Plan:
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