UPDATE, 4.30pm: A ‘reduced threat, return with caution’ alert was issued for South Golden Beach shortly after 4pm.
People are advised to stay away from Billinudgel and The Pocket owing to flooding.
UPDATE, 2.30pm: People in Belongil and the Discovery Park, Mullumbimby, Billinudgel, parts of South Ocean Shores and surrounds were advised to monitor conditions as of around lunch time today.
The Bureau of Meteorology said minor flooding of the Brunswick River in Main Arm and locations upstream of Mullumbimby, in Mullumbimby and at Brunswick Heads wasn’t predicted anymore.
The river reportedly peaked at 1.86 metres, below the minor flood level of 2.5 metres, and was falling.
Low-lying areas around the Ocean Shores golf club were reportedly flooded owing to the Bruns River.
EARLIER: Northern Rivers communities and beyond were in various stages of emergency recovery and alert Monday morning as impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, since downgraded to a tropical East Low, continued.
Most of the region was under advice to stay informed of severe weather, with heavy rain predicted to continue in coming days and associated flood and landslide risks.
The Bureau of Meteorology continued to advise the situation could change at any time and for people to stay alert to updates via the Hazards Near Me smart app, ABC local broadcast services (94.5 FM on the Northern Rivers) and other emergency service information.
Updates on weather, floods and road conditions were available via local government website emergency dashboards for those with internet access.
The NSW State Emergency Services on the weekend reported more than 1,300 responses to calls for help, including six flood rescues on Saturday night.
Floodwater alerts, power losses
Parts of Mullumbimby, Tweed, Murwillumbah, South Murwillumbah, Chinderah, Condong and surrounds were advised Sunday afternoon to monitor conditions, with people in Murwillumbah, Chinderah and Tweed coastal creek areas receiving an alert at one o’clock this morning not to enter floodwaters.
The severe weather led to flooding and landslides in other areas across the region in the lead-up to and during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, as well as property damage and temporary road closures owing to fallen trees.
Greens State Member for Ballina Tamara Smith said Essential Energy had reported more than 16,000 households from Tweed to as far south as Grafton still without power by Sunday morning.
Thousands were still without power by the weekend’s end including in parts of Bangalow and Suffolk Park.
Others went hours or days without reliable or any internet service, including in Byron Bay.
Federal Labor Member for Richmond Justine Elliot said local schools would be closed Monday but expected to resume early this week.
Ms Smith said all schools in the Ballina state electorate would be closed Monday, with a full list of school closures across the state available via the NSW Department of Education online.
Byron Shire water and sewage woes
The Byron Shire Council said on Sunday staff were working to maintain basic sewer services with generators ahead of the restoration of mains power.
Residents in impacted areas were asked to continue following the ‘if it’s brown, flush it down, if it’s yellow, let it mellow’ message.
Meanwhile, people in Mullumbimby were asked to start conserving water, with the town’s water treatment plant reportedly offline.
Residents were asked to limit water use to essential drinking, cooking and hygiene purposes with the local water treatment plant unable to produce more drinking water owing to high levels of turbidity in the raw water supply.
The council said it would start reopening offices and facilities from Monday but that it might take several days for ‘things to be fully operational again’.
Similarly in the Tweed Shire, the council declared critical water supplies in some parts late Saturday night, with people Terranora, Bilambil Heights and parts of Banora Point advised to ration and boil water supplies.
Evacuation directions lifted for some but not all
Meanwhile, many residents of Lismore, Mullumbimby and other areas of the Northern Rivers evacuated or advised to prepare to evacuate late last week and over the weekend owing to flood risks have been returning home.
Residents in some parts of the Byron Shire were yet to receive official advice it was safe to return after evacuation directions first started to be issued four days ago.
New Brighton, South Golden Beach and The Pocket still had an evacuation direction in place as of Monday morning.
Minor flooding of Brunswick River predicted
Residents in Mullumbimby, Billinudgel and surrounds were advised to stay informed as of 7.30pm Sunday.
The BOM was predicting minor flooding of the Brunswick River in Main Arm and locations upstream of Mullumbimby, in Mullumbimby and at Brunswick Heads owing to forecast rain and a high tide Monday morning.
Roads and other areas could be flooded if the river at Federation Bridge in Mullumbimby reaches the minor flood level of two and a half metres.
A ‘watch and act – do not enter floodwater’ alert was still in place early Monday morning for Belongil and the Byron Industrial Estate, having been issued five days days ago.
No official recovery access point in Byron Shire included in first RA announcement
On Sunday the NSW Reconstruction Authority announced recovery assistance points to be opened in four Northern Rivers locations from Thursday 13 March.
They’re to open from nine am Thursday at the Southern Cross University in Lismore, Tweed Heads South Community Hall and Ballina Surf Club, with one also announced for 2-6 Vernon Street in Coffs Harbour.
There wasn’t a recovery assistance point in the Byron Shire included in the announcement.
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