Ready for flood response and recovery action

Helping private land holders and sites significant to Aboriginal people

One of our key flood clean-up programs has been expanded to assist private landowners in affected areas remove debris from their land. The Land-based Clean-up Program now includes the clean-up of large, man-made and hazardous debris that has remained on properties after flood waters have receded.

NSW EPA Flood Recovery Manager Martin Puddey said the program will reduce the cost and burden on those recovering from the recent flood events and benefit the local environment.

“This is an excellent addition to the public land program which has already removed more than 420m³ of flood debris since February,” Martin said.

Clean-up has already been completed at 57 public sites and is planned for a further 117 sites.  These sites are in the Hawkesbury, The Hills, Penrith, Lismore, Nambucca, Ballina, Byron Bay and Tweed local government areas. The program applies to all disaster declared local government areas in NSW.  

Follow our flood story map

Following the debris tells the story of the flood clean-up through mapping and images. Some remarkable stories and images show  how far people’s belongings have travelled and how much the recovery centres and communities have come together to help each other.

One such example is a 12-tonne pontoon that was returned from the Ukerebagh Reserve to South Murwillumbah, almost 25km away.

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The Ukerebagh Nature Reserve at Tweed Heads is a culturally significant site that the EPA clean-up crews have cleared of flood debris with the help of rangers from the Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC), Tweed Aboriginal Co-operative Society Limited and Tweed Shire Council.

Chairperson of the Tweed Aboriginal Co-operative Society Nicole Rotumah said that rangers provided cultural support to the clean-up crews.

“Ukerebagh Island is important to our local Aboriginal people including the Blue Hole, for traditional hunting and gathering oysters, crabs and fish,” Ms Rotumah said.

More than 50 cubic meters of flood debris and a 12-tonne pontoon has been cleared from the sensitive reserve and island near the mouth of the Tweed River.

The debris collected from Ukerebagh has been taken to a local waste staging area for sorting where as much as possible will be recovered for recycling and reuse.

“This is yet another great outcome for our local community because it ensures as little as possible ends up in landfill,” Martin said.