The Northern Rivers Times
October 26, 2023
10 NEWS
BOOST FOR BALLINA BOATING COMMUNITY AS FLOOD-DAMAGED PONTOONS REPLACED Transport for NSW Maritime is working with Ballina Shire Council to replace flood-damaged pontoons in Ballina and Keith Hall through part of a $389,000 grant. Ballina Shire Council will remove pontoons which sustained damage in the extreme floods of 2022, replacing them with new infrastructure to improve safety for the boating community. “Our community has been through so much and it’s been such a long recovery since last year’s devastating floods. The new pontoons are very welcome news for recreational boaters, a boost for local tourism, and another significant step forward in our community’s flood recovery,” said Ballina Shire Mayor Sharon Cadwallader. Transport for NSW Maritime delivers urgent funding to local councils and other bodies to repair or replace recreational boating infrastructure damaged in severe weather events. More than $2 million in funding has been approved for 34 projects across the state since 2019. Transport for NSW Maritime Executive Director Mark Hutchings said he’s pleased to deliver this
boost to the Ballina boating community. “The North Coast community are avid boaters and it’s great to see these pontoons replaced in time for summer,” Mr Hutchings said. “Transport for NSW Maritime is committed to helping the boating and wider community safely access and use our rivers and coastal waters, particularly in the wake of natural disasters.” Works will begin in Keith Hall on Tuesday 24th October and at Lance Ferris Wharf in Fawcett Park on Monday 30th October. At Keith Hall, a truck and crane will remove the damaged pontoons and put the new ones in place. Access to the Keith Hall boat ramp will, at times, be impacted but it is expected that recreational users will be able to access the boat ramp in between crane lifts. Lance Ferris Wharf pontoons will be replaced by barge on the river, with each unit floated from the Fishery Creek boat ramp at West Ballina. Access to the boat ramp will be impacted at times and the Lance Ferris Wharf will be closed to the public while works take place over the three-day period.
HUGE FUNDING BOOST FOR FLOOD RECOVERY IN THE NORTHERN RIVERS By Sarah Waters Tweed Shire Council has received a $26 million funding boost from the Australian and NSW governments to help restore and improve community assets damaged in the 2017 and 2022 floods. The funding announcement was made in Murwillumbah recently by Federal Member for Richmond Justine Elliot and Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin. It is part of a $121 million package for the North Coast through the Infrastructure Betterment Fund and Community Local Infrastructure Recovery Package - Community Assets Program. Under the Infrastructure Betterment Fund, the Tweed has been awarded $10 million to relocate the Council Works Depot from its current location in Buchanan Street at South Murwillumbah to land above the flood level in the new industrial estate in South Murwillumbah. An additional $15.5 million has been granted to Tweed Shire Council under the Community Assets Program (CAP), which will be used to help repair, restore and improve a suite of community facilities. These will include roads, car parks and pathways located at flood-affected
sportsgrounds and parks at Bilambil, Kingscliff, Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Uki, Pottsville and Terranora. Public toilets and shelters at Murwillumbah, Chinderah, Chillingham, Fingal Head, Pottsville, Casuarina and Kingscliff. Parks and playgrounds, including Budd Park in Murwillumbah, Overall Drive in Pottsville, Saddle Way in Murwillumbah, Turnock St Park in Chinderah and Sweetnam Park in Uki will be restored. Three community buildings and halls projects at Crabbes Creek Community Hall, Tumbulgum Hall and Tweed Heads Community Centre will also take place. Much-needed erosion and landslip repair work will be undertaken. Mayor of Tweed Shire Chris Cherry said the funding was a game-
changer for the Tweed’s flood recovery. “We are very grateful to be granted almost $26 million in flood recovery funding from the Australian and NSW governments today,” Ms Cherry said. “Without this funding, we simply would not be able to afford the repair and restoration of so many of our community assets - it would take us years to be able to fund such an extensive program. “Our flood restoration team has been hard at work since the 2022 flood, completing more than 2500 damage repairs to date with almost 1000 damaged sites still to repair – and that is just on our roads network. “To get a feel for the size of the job, to complete these over the next two years, we’re effectively starting 10 jobs every week,” she said.
Tweed Shire Council’s flooded Works Depot in Buchanan Street, South Murwillumbah after the February 2022 flood. Council is planning to build a new works depot off the floodplain.
Tweed Shire Council General Manager Troy Green also welcomed the funding, saying $10 million for the Council Depot would have lasting benefits for not just Council but also the wider Tweed community. “This Infrastructure Betterment funding will bring about generational change for the Tweed as it will enable us to rebuild our works depot off the floodplain and allow us to respond to any future natural disasters in a much more timely manner,” Mr Green said. “In the 2017 flood, we lost much of our machinery as the depot was flooded. “And in 2022, while we were better prepared and managed to move our machinery to higher ground, the depot was still inundated and took considerable effort by our crews to salvage the materials we were not able to move. “This funding will allow us to get cracking on building a new depot at our new land swap development in the new industrial estate in South Murwillumbah. “Once that is completed, it means our crews - as well as other emergency service providers - will be able to respond quickly to any future natural disasters,” he said. Work on the new depot is expected to start in June next year.
Locally owned and operating for over 100 years! Good old-fashioned customer service AKUBRA R.M WILLIAMS DR MARTENS SKECHERS BIRKENSTOCKS INDUSTRIE LEVIS CROCS
Mallanganee Memorial Hall 7 Bonalbo Street Mallanganee NSW 2469
Friday, 27 October
Doors Open 6.30pm | Show Starts 7.00pm Tickets available at www.festivalofsmallhalls.com
www.wallaces.com.au
109 River Street Ballina 6686 2081 insta@wallace fashion Now accepting
