Work is set to begin on a $1.3 million fibre optic network, improving Lismore’s flood management infrastructure’s resilience and better protecting the community.
This vital project, funded by the Federal Government and administered by the NSW Government, will install a 10-km fibre optic cable to connect Browns Creek, Gasworks Creek, Magellan Street and Lower Hollingworth Creek pump stations to Lismore City Council’s central control system.
“This is what real action looks like when it comes to building better infrastructure to make sure our community is better prepared, safer and able to recover from the devastating impact of floods,” NSW Minister for Recovery and Minister for the North Coast Janelle Saffin said.
“This upgrade of our local pump stations will make a huge difference to the lives of people working and living in Lismore. It is welcome support for our community because it helps us prepare for the future.”
This will allow Lismore City Council to remotely activate, monitor, and survey pump stations to reduce future flooding.
“As one of the first major projects being delivered under Council’s Flood Restoration Portfolio Resilience program, the project marks a significant step forward in our ability to prepare for and respond to future flood events,” Lismore City Council Mayor Steve Krieg said.
“Recent ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred reinforced the need for the automation that this project will provide. Our people did an amazing job implementing and then shutting down the flood management operations, but we can leverage technology, like this fibre optic connection to not only improve our preparations and responses, but also make our community safer and more resilient.”
The project has been funded as part of the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program (NRRRP), where the Australian Government provided $150 million to the NSW Government to support flood mitigation and resilience projects across the seven local government areas impacted by the devastating February and March 2022 floods.
“The NSW Reconstruction Authority is proud to be assisting councils like Lismore City improve safety through vital works as part of the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program,” NSW Reconstruction Authority CEO Mal Lanyon said.
“As we saw during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, technology can play a critical role when it comes to flood management, and this project will not only revolutionise how Lismore City Council operates its flood management infrastructure, but it will greatly improve safety for workers by reducing manual operations, allowing them to prioritise other tasks in a disaster.”
The installation of the fibre optic cable will be complemented by several other projects being undertaken by Lismore City Council’s Flood Restoration Portfolio, including upgrading capacity at Browns Creek Pump Station, installing a new electric pump at Magellan Street pumping station, and installing mechanical trash racks to protect pumps from debris at Browns Creek Inlet, Gasworks Creek, and Lower Hollingworth Creek.
The NRRRP includes six projects, totalling $31.27 million, focused on flood pump stations and drainage improvements. Lismore City Council, in partnership with the NSW Reconstruction Authority, is delivering them.
For more information on the Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program, visit https://www.nema.gov.au/our-work/resilience/the-northern-rivers-recovery-and-resilience-program.
