Broadwater residents feeling drained

Alannah Hovard, who owns the old catholic church, has similar issues.

“There are no drains out the front of my property and the road is much higher,” she said.

“I feel as though (the stormwater) should be going out to the river, but it is far too high for water to fow in to it.”

Ms Hovard said she would like to see both Boundary Creek and Rattle Creek opened up so water can follow its natural course.

“What’s happening now is the water is fowing through the sugar cane canals, which also need to be cleaned out,” she said.

Ms Hovard asked Broadwater residents on their local community page if they were having drainage problems and (pardon the pun) she was inundated.

Many blamed an old drainage system, stormwater pipes that were too small for the task and drains that have been blocked, especially since the 2022 foods.

“Traveller’s Arm Lane/ Baraang Driver, where the Broadwater School is…No drainage at all,” said RW.

“The water from the new highway and all the way to the river both sides of the road, the new development included, has to make its way through the little drainpipe under McDonald Street,” said KW.

“Lack of proper run off, road gutters and piping and water drainage has fooded our property,” said TK.

“My paddock foods every time it rains. I’m now also having issues with the water running off the motorway,” said AC.

Ms Hovard organised a meeting with residents at the Broadwater Bowling Club, where newly installed councillor, Lyndal Murray, took on their concerns.

Cr Murray and Cr Robert Hayes both requested a report on the drainage system for Broadwater.

This report was tabled at the Richmond Valley Council November 2024 meeting.

It reads:

“Council currently has minimal stormwater network infrastructure within the Broadwater village with most of the rainfall navigating in open drains along public roads or via private drains until discharging into the Richmond River.”

“(Council) is currently expanding the stormwater study to the MidRichmond Communities to identify potential mitigation options for heavy rainfall events.”

The report confrmed that there are four different agencies that deal with stormwater and drainage within the Northern Rivers, making it very diffcult for residents to know who to turn to when looking for a solution.

This includes Rous County Council who look after food infrastructure that includes levees, food channels and foodgates, which were installed in Broadwater from the 1960s to 1980s to mitigate major water events.

Council is responsible for roadside drainage and publicly owned stormwater infrastructure.

According to the report, what council don’t maintain is drainage on private property.

Ms Hovard said a new housing development in the middle of the village, which has seen 69 lots created, was a concern as the area has been built up causing run off to properties around it.

“The levy from this housing estate is not being put back into Broadwater,” she said.

“I would like to see that money come to

Broadwater to fx our drains.”

Council’s report confrmed that developer contributions were applied to fund local community infrastructure and services.

“This infrastructure typically includes facilities such as parks, community facilities, roads and drainage,” it read.

“Council’s (plan) seeks to ensure an equitable and sustainable funding source for a broad range of infrastructure across the whole LGA…such that the current development that is occurring within Broadwater will support facilities throughout the whole LGA.”

Cr Murray said it was important, whatever steps council took to fx the drainage, to incorporate the need of the residents.

“I do think it’s important that we consider local knowledge when planning solutions around this,” she said.

“We can have all the planning in the world, but without local knowledge that won’t help.”