The Albanese Labor and NSW Liberal and Nationals Governments have launched a $5 million Northern Rivers Drainage Reset Program to help flood-affected communities get back on their feet.
The NSW government announced that the program, a part of the $150 million Primary Industry Support Package co-funded under the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements, will clean out and repair the damaged drainage systems and fit them with mechanisms to reduce the impacts of future flooding.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the program directly responds to findings and recommendations from the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government's Independent Flood Inquiry.
“We want to continue to support our communities on the North Coast and Northern Rivers as they recover from the floods last year,” Toole said
Areas near the Northern Rivers took a hit from the February-March 2022 floods, with some homes still waiting to be repaired as insurance remains “the biggest holdup” in rebuilding.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt said the Northern Rivers Drainage Reset Program will focus on cleaning and treating sediment in drains to assist in water movement through river systems.
“This program will provide an injection of funds to improve priority drainage channels, reducing the immediate risks to agricultural assets and surrounding communities in future flood events,” Minister Watt said. “This represents the practical and tangible ways we're improving the longer-term flood resilience of this region.”
Toole said: “Addressing directly the drainage recommendation from the inquiry will allow our communities to support their primary producers and the wider region during future flooding events.”
NSW Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders said having a clean and healthy drainage system is crucial to running productive farms and mitigating future flooding events.
“The Northern Rivers community can take another big step forward in the rebuilding and recovery process, and our farmers can get back to growing productive and profitable crops,” Saunders said.
“I want to thank everyone involved in this journey so far, including farmers, the Drainage Union, local and NSW Government agencies, and the Northern Rivers Drainage Coordinator for getting these vital drainage channels back on track.”
The Department of Regional NSW will administer the Northern Rivers Drainage Reset Program in partnership with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation.
