A $5 million recovery program is locking in its first round of priority projects to fix damaged agricultural drainage systems across Northern and Mid North NSW, helping primary producers bounce back from the severe impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
The office of federal Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories, Kristy McBain, said, ‘Jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), the Tropical Cyclone Alfred Agricultural Drainage Reset Program will restore critical drainage flow to 25 council-nominated sites. The works span the Richmond Valley, Ballina Shire, Rous County, Tweed Shire, and Kempsey Shire local government areas’.
‘When agricultural drains are blocked or compromised, floodwaters sit on low-lying farmland for extended periods, destroying crops, degrading soil, and stalling food production.
‘The first tranche of the program tackles urgent local projects identified by councils, moving them directly into the detailed planning, approval, and delivery phases.
‘Key projects include:
- Kempsey Shire: Clearing approximately 5km of critical Flood Mitigation Drains east of Gladstone to unblock water transit paths.
- Tweed Shire: Advancing major drainage improvement and recovery works within the Condong Creek outlet.
- Richmond Valley: Clearing flood debris, thick vegetation, and heavy sediment from the 1,120-metre Rattle Gully agricultural drain in Broadwater.
- Ballina Shire & Rous County: Targeted resetting of numerous vital agricultural floodgate drainage outlets and associated piping, including major works at Pimlico, Empire Vale, and Wardell to allow unobstructed runoff into the river systems.
‘The program is being administered by the NSW Reconstruction Authority in close partnership with the NSW Soil Conservation Service, ensuring specialist technical expertise in sediment management and strict environmental safeguards’.
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