Residents in Byron Bay and Suffolk Park who have been affected by flooding are being asked to share their experiences, photos and videos with Council.

The information will be used to inform the update of the Belongil and Tallow Floodplain Risk Management Plan and Study.

The documents will guide the development of flood management strategies in the catchments, including planning controls, emergency management, and the development of a prioritised list of projects to address current and future flood risks.

“Many properties in Belongil, Byron Bay and Suffolk Park were flooded in March 2022, which was the largest flood ever experienced in these catchments,” Josh Wilde, Project Manager, said.

“Council has now calibrated its flood modelling to this event, but before we go any further, we need to first get community feedback on the flood maps to ensure they accurately reflect the flooding that occurred.

“Many people provided Council with information about the extent of the flooding in the months following the event.

“We want to have in-depth conversations with these people, as well as others who may not have spoken to anyone about recent flood events,” Mr Wilde said.

“This is not just about flooding in 2022; we want to hear about any flooding experiences people have had and gather ideas on how to resolve these issues, which can all be considered in the study.”

“We also want to hear people’s ideas on how to better prevent, manage, or reduce flooding impacts in our community,” Mr Wilde said.

Staff will be at the Byron Farmers Market on 18 September and 25 September to speak with people and answer questions.

People can share their stories and information at Your Say Byron Shire on Council’s website until 18 October.