Some stories have been told and the full story of the 2022 floods is still unfolding. Society is realising that historic poor planning and active ignorance of flood as an issue led to our living, working and investing in flood-prone areas. For residential occupation of a floodplain, the perils are twofold: (a) dwellings get flooded, and (b) egress from them to higher ground (including to a safe evacuation centre) gets cut by floodwaters.
The science behind flood estimation is sophisticated and reliable. Estimates of flood levels and extent of flooding were sadly proven true in Byron Shire in 2022. Planning for floodplains is likewise sophisticated but has often been ignored. Let’s change that now.
I am taking a three-way motion about flooding to Council on 11 August. It acknowledges the suffering due to flooding in 2022. It promises that Council will do our best to assist our people to recover from the 2022 floods and to protect against future floods.
Lastly, it proposes that we consider what should happen in relation to new development. The Shire does have dry land and does not have to house new people or set up new enterprises below flood level, including future flood levels (higher than current ones).
Let’s not do what has happened in the past, where floods have occurred then memories have faded, and new development has brought new victims onto known floodplains.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
