Meeting summary
Welcome
The Chair, The Hon Janelle Saffin MP, Member for Lismore, Minister for Small Business, Minister for Recovery, and Minister for the North Coast, opened the meeting. The Chair noted apologies for the meeting had been received from Mal Lanyon - CEO NSW Reconstruction Authority (RA), Kevin Hogan MP - Member for Page, Cllr Sharon Cadwallader – Mayor for Ballina, Cllr Ray Smith – Mayor for Clarence Valley, Susie George – Executive Director RA, Cllr Danielle Mulholland – Mayor for Kyogle, Marcus Schintler – General Manager Kyogle Council.
Review of actions
Meeting attendees reviewed the actions from the previous meeting and confirmed next steps.
Cadence of meeting – Members agreed that the monthly meeting cadence would cease, to be replaced with meetings when required.
Tweed Shire Council – Reinsurance of Council Assets following flooding
General Manager - Tweed Shire Council (TSC) provided an overview of TSC’s insurance status following flooding events in 2017 and 2022.
TSC joined a mutual insurance fund in 2016, but after successive flood events in 2017 and 2022, coverage was reduced and eventually withdrawn. TSC undertook a strategic approach to regain coverage, presenting case studies to underwriters and initiating major asset relocations and upgrades. These included relocating the main depot out of the floodplain via an industrial land swap, moving the Visitor Information Centre due to inundation concerns, and refurbishing the Community Centre with resilient materials.
Flood mitigation efforts, including installation of flood cameras and GIS asset tracking, were also highlighted as effective adaptive and mitigation strategies.
Disaster Adaptation Plan Guidelines
The Head - Adaptation, Mitigation and Reconstruction at RA provided an update on the delivery of statewide guidelines for development of Disaster Adaptation Plans (DAPs). The DAP Guidelines were released on 13 August with an event held in Parramatta and online.
Launch of the Guidelines occurred following extensive consultation. In addition to the Northern Rivers DAP and Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley DAP, five Joint Organisations of Councils have commenced work on a DAP. A key change to the DAP process is the change from five to four stages, with a Foundation DAP introduced at Stage 2, outlining early actions.
Northern Rivers Disaster Adaptation Plan update
The Executive Director, Adaptation, Mitigation and Data Insights at RA provided an overview of the work progressed to develop the DAP and highlighted the importance of place-based approaches with a locally based DAP team.
A recent Adaptation Story screening in Kyogle highlighted this importance, with further adaptation screenings and forums exploring local perspectives planned.
A Community Reference Group (CRG) of 40 participants will be established to reflect a cross-section of the community and explore how people feel about risk. Insights from the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley DAP CRG have highlighted sensitivities around mitigation strategies, such as levees, that may benefit one area while negatively impacting another. Materials will be shared with councils prior to launch.
Regional risk profiling is underway, incorporating technical, economic, and community insights, including Aboriginal community engagement.
Resilient Homes Program update
The A/Director - Resilient Homes RA provided an update on the Resilient Homes Program. Over 926 buyback offers have been made, with over 700 settled. A portfolio of properties is being demolished or relocated. The focus is shifting toward resilient measures through a precinct-based approach, including 450 home assessments and an outreach program.
A Request for Quotation for a panel of demolition contractors was issued on Friday. With a 12-month timeframe to complete relocations, there is a strong push to accelerate progress.
Closing
Meeting closed at 12.00 pm. The Chair thanked everyone for their participation and reminded them that this was the last formal meeting as part of the existing cadence.