Northern NSW business leaders push engineering solutions to curb future Lismore floods
Business groups in northern New South Wales are urging the adoption of engineered flood-mitigation works, citing a CSIRO study that shows detention basins could dramatically lower flood levels in the Richmond River catchment.
A coalition of northern NSW businesses, organized under the Lismore Alliance, has endorsed engineering interventions recommended by a recent CSIRO report to mitigate flooding in the Richmond River basin. The study suggests that strategically placed detention basins and an additional river outlet could lower the 2022 flood peak by roughly 2.07 metres, protecting homes, council assets and commercial districts. Leaders like Simon Stahl and Felicity Hyde stress that flood risk is the primary barrier to economic recovery and insurance availability after the 2022 disaster, which inflicted nearly $1 billion in damages.
The NSW and federal governments have allocated $3 million for a comprehensive feasibility assessment, while the National Emergency Management Agency will release maps indicating properties that may be affected by the proposed basins. Concerns remain among farmers and upper-catchment communities about land inundation, road access and environmental impacts, prompting the NSW Reconstruction Authority to coordinate stakeholder input.
Why it matters
Reducing flood risk could revive Lismore's economy and restore insurance markets after a costly 2022 disaster.
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