Byron Shire Council is set to begin the next round of major drainage reconstruction works in the Byron Bay CBD in June, acknowledging that the project will have a ‘significant impact’ on business and the community.
However, unlike the much-maligned Lawson Street drainage project undertaken last year, the next round of works will reportedly be timed to limit the financial repercussions for local shop owners. And it appears that this time affected businesses owners have been given more than a few weeks’ notice about the imminent closure of the streets where their shops are located.
An agenda item coming up at this week’s Byron Council meeting proposes that councillors endorse the final plans for the town centre component of the Byron Bay drainage
upgrade.
14–18 months of work
The plans involve a major redesign of the town’s centre surface and subsurface stormwater management system and it is estimated that the entire project will take 14–18 months to complete.
The works are designed to mitigate flooding in the centre of town during major weather events such as the floods experienced in 2022.
‘Construction of this scope of works is complex and multifaceted, involving significant excavation, sheet piling, dewatering, drainage installation, service relocation and road reconstruction works in some of the town’s main streets,’ Council staff state in their report.
‘Impacts on community and businesses will be significant, and consultation with the community has been undertaken during the design process to raise awareness and understanding of the disruption that will occur.’
‘Impact mitigation measures have been stipulated in the Expression of Interest (EOI) and Request for Tender (RFT) documents to ensure that disruption to residents and businesses is minimised as much as possible.’
Mitigation measures
One of these impact mitigation measures, staff say, is the requirement that construction on Byron’s CBD roads must not take place in December or January. The reconstruction works which were sprung on Lawson Street businesses during the September school holiday period last year nearly sent several of the shops to the wall.
The stipulation that this mistake not be repeated, in concert with the deadlines imposed by the government grants which are funding the project, means that the works must commence no later than June.
To expedite the process, staff are asking that authority to undertake several activities associated with the project be delegated to them and the general manager rather than requiring sign-off from councillors.
But it appears meeting these tight timeframes and limiting the impact on businesses is not the only challenge facing Council in relation to the project.
Cost blow out?
The staff report suggests that the final cost of the works has blown out.
‘Council needs to be satisfied that there are sufficient funds available prior to moving to tender the works,’ the report states.
‘Council sought clarification on pricing from the contractors for certain elements of their submissions. This has resulted in revised pricing. These revised prices vary from the Evaluation Panel Recommendation Report.
‘A resolution is also sought to grant the mayor and general manager delegation to lobby state and federal governments for additional funding to enable Council to complete the full scope of the Byron drainage works inclusive of additional drainage work in the Recreation Grounds catchment, which would require an additional $10 million investment.’
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