The NSW government say annual dredging maintenance work to provide a clearer and safer channel into the Tweed River commenced today (Friday).

A recent Meet the Candidates evening in Ocean Shores saw discussion around how to manage local river systems, which have silted up over generations, and likely contributed to the high flood levels experienced in 2022.

Following the February and March floods the question of whether dredging the rivers of Tweed Shire will reduce a flood's impact has once again been raised.

The long-awaited dredging of the Richmond River mouth at Ballina and nearby North Creek will go ahead after the state government and Ballina Shire Council each lobbed in around a quarter of a million dollars towards the project.

After dredging carried out prior to Christmas to ensure better boat access to Fishery Creek, Ballina boat harbour will now see the removal of the final bags of dredge sediment.

More than $2 million of dredging has been completed in Ballina and Kingscliff to improve access for boaters during the busy holiday period.

A residents' group in Evans Head is demanding that a dredge operator pay to clean up Evans Head's Main Beach after dumping contaminated material on it.

An Evans Head residents group wants to know whether spoil from dredging in the Evans River might be attracting sharks.

Byron Shire Council has called on the state government to defer any dredging of the Brunswick Heads boat harbour and navigation channels, and will refuse to allow council’s boat ramp to launch the dredge vessel till questions on the works have been answered.