For many locals, the flood level markers displayed on the bare concrete walls of Browns Creek Pump Station are a powerful reminder of just how high the floodwaters reached in 2022.
Visitors and tourists often stop to see just how high the water rose, capturing photos of the flood heights. But beyond those black lines sits one of the city's most important pieces of flood resilience infrastructure, quietly working to help protect homes, businesses and support Lismore’s long-term recovery.
Now, that vital piece of infrastructure is set for its biggest upgrade yet, where the existing pump station will be expanded and refurbished to house powerful submersible pumps.
Lismore City Council has appointed Eire Constructions to deliver the project, in collaboration with the Flood Restoration Portfolio team.
Funded by the Australian Government's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) through the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program (NRRRP) and administered by RA, the upgrade is another significant investment in the region's long-term recovery and resilience.
Lismore City Council Project Manager Jackson Fary said appointing the contractor marked an exciting milestone after years of planning, investigations and detailed design work.
"There's been a huge amount of work happening behind the scenes to get us to this point, so it's exciting to now be moving into the construction phase."
Mr Fary said the appointment of Eire Constructions signalled the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the project.
"We're looking forward to working closely with Eire Constructions over the coming months as we finalise construction planning and prepare to get boots on the ground. This project will deliver long-term benefits for the community, and it's exciting to see years of planning becoming a reality."
While construction is set to begin in late 2026, a significant amount of work has already taken place behind the scenes.
Over the past two years, engineers and specialist teams have undertaken extensive environmental assessments, geotechnical investigations and underground mapping to better understand Browns Creek and ensure the upgraded infrastructure is designed to serve the community for decades to come.
When complete around late 2027, the upgraded Browns Creek Pump Station will sit alongside the existing facility and feature powerful new submersible pumps, delivering significantly increased pumping capacity versus the current station. Mechanical trash screens will help protect the pumps from debris during flood events, while new fibre optic technology will enable the station to be monitored and operated remotely during severe weather.
Existing Browns Creek Pump Station
Concept design of the New Brown's Creek Pump Station
Importantly, the existing pump station will remain operational throughout construction, ensuring flood protection continues while the new facility is built. Once complete, the original building will be refurbished to house electrical equipment and upgraded flood gate infrastructure.
Before construction begins, Eire Constructions will work closely with Lismore City Council's Flood Restoration Portfolio to finalise detailed design, refine construction staging and prepare the site ahead of major works commencing.
The Browns Creek Pump Station upgrade is one of several flood resilience projects being delivered across Lismore through the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program. Together, these projects are helping build a stronger, more resilient city by investing in the infrastructure that will support the community for generations to come.
As construction gets ready to begin, residents can expect to see increased activity around the Browns Creek Pump Station site in the coming months, with the project team working to minimise impacts to the community while delivering this important upgrade.
For more information on Lismore’s flood recovery projects, visit https://www.lismore.nsw.gov.au/Building-and-planning/Flood-Restoration-Portfolio and watch the video below.
First look at Lismore's flood pump station upgrades
Photos and video supplied by Lismore City Council.