A $5.6 million upgrade of Murwillumbah’s Lavender Creek flood pumping station is now underway, with two new pumps set to significantly increase the town’s capacity to clear stormwater during floods.
The new station will house two flood pumps capable of shifting a combined eight cubic metres of water every second, along with new debris screening, electrical controls, communications and telemetry equipment.
The electrical infrastructure will be installed on an elevated platform to reduce the risk of it being knocked out during future floods.
The project is part of a broader package of six flood mitigation upgrades across Murwillumbah worth about $16 million, funded through the federal government’s $150 million Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program.
For a town still living with the memory of 2022, the aim is straightforward: get stormwater out faster and reduce the amount of time homes, businesses and streets remain inundated.
NSW Recovery Minister and Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said reliable infrastructure was critical during severe weather.
‘Upgrading these pump stations gives Murwillumbah the capacity to handle heavy rainfall, protecting local homes and businesses while giving the community peace of mind,’ she said.
Tweed Mayor Chris Cherry was slightly more circumspect about what pumps can achieve.
‘We know there is no single solution to flooding, but investments like this are an important step towards making our community more resilient in the future,’ she said.
That caution reflects earlier flood-planning work, which found pump upgrades can reduce the duration and impact of inundation but cannot prevent major river flooding altogether.
The Lavender Creek project is now in construction, with completion expected in February 2027, weather permitting.
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