Susanna Freymark
About 100 people came to Woodburn Visitor Centre yesterday, Wednesday, August 6 to ask questions and give feedback on the CSIRO flood mitigation measures.
CSIRO senior principal research scientist Jai Vaze was keen to hear what locals had to say about the 15 flood mitigation measures his team have recommended.
”I work with the community, I’ve come here to get your views,” he said.
Mr Vaze and his team of scientists, mostly from Canberra, were available to listen at feedback sessions hosted by the National Emergency Management Agency.
At the Casino session, about 45 people attended. The next drop-in session is in Kyogle tomorrow, Friday, August 8 at the Kyogle Community Hall (seniors centre) at 3 Bloore Street, Kyogle.
How will community feedback influence the flood mitigation report?
”Everything is helpful,” Mr Vaze said.
”If I hear 100 people are saying one thing, I will look at the majority view. As a scientist, I will see if it is feasible in the model — does it make sense for flood mitigation?”
Mr Vaze really does want to hear the views of residents.
”Everyone has an equal voice,” he said.
He wants a holistic solution that benefits the whole region, not just one part of it.
”I promise I will not protect an upstream area at the cost of downstream,” he said.
This is good news for towns such as Coraki, Broadwater and Woodburn.
”If I do something in Kyogle, I have to make sure it doesn’t affect Casino,” he said.
“It’s doable.”
Here are the 15 flood mitigation measures suggested by CSIRO:
- Water retention or diversion on land upstream of Kyogle (location to be finalised)
- Kyogle partial ring levee
- Casino CDB levee
- Lowering of the Bruxner Highway
- Water diversion on land between Casino and Coraki (location to be finalised)
- Water retention in the Wilsons catchment upstream of Lismore (location to be finalised)
- Water retention in the Terania Creek catchments upstream of Lismore (details to be finalised)
- Water retention in the Leycester Creek catchment upstream of Lismore (location to be finalised
- Leycester Creek bypass
- Lismore CBD levee upgrade
- South Lismore levee upgrade
- Tuckean Swamp bypass and drainage, and Bagotville barrage upgrade
- Ballina levee (location to be finalised)
- West Ballina culverts and levee (location to be finalised)
- Opening of Boundary Creek to the Pacific Ocean
Mr Vaze is a scientist, not a politician, so he cannot give a costing of the final selected flood mitigation measures.
That will be up to the government come June 2026, when the community feedback is in the model and Mr Vaze and his team make their final recommendations.
State and federal governments will be aware that the cost of recovery from flood disasters runs into billions. Flood mitigation won’t be cheap but it saves lives, homes and farmland and reduces the impact of future flood disasters, as well as reducing the economics of recovery.
But that is for the future.
Right now, Mr Vaze will be putting together a bundle of options comparing the effects of the 2017 and 2022 floods. After the community talks finish which he will bring back a revised report to councils and the community for another look.
The final CSIRO report goes to the government on June 30 next year.
There is no miracle cure for reducing the flood height.
“From day one, I said I’m not promising I can reduce flood levels,” Mr Vaze said with the caution of a scientist.
”We do expect to get improvements on the reduction of impact.”
With 30 years experience, Mr Vaze has an enthusiasm to listen to the community and use that knowledge in his research.
The research team has been working on the flood modelling across Richmond for more than a year.
It isn’t only rainfall we look at, one of the scientists said.
”We look into soils, grass and tree cover and other information.”
Drop in to the Kyogle feedback session.
Friday, August 8
Kyogle Community Hall
3 Bloore Street
10am—6pm