The long awaited CSIRO Interim report was released today by Federal Minister for Emergency Management, Murray Watt in Lismore today.

With a twist of irony, the rain started to fall on the press conference forcing Minister Watt, Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin and Mayor Steve Krieg to retreat to an undercover area behind the Marie Mackney netball courts.

The result will be an important first step in our flood mitigation work although many will feel underwhelmed by this first phase, but necessary list of projects, as the research continues into the more complex issues like creating a whole of catchment flood model that can determine the effectiveness of varying types of flood mitigation.

In her introduction, Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, addressed the question that many local residents had "why has it taken so long to release this interim report"? "It's because it's been with the state government, rightly, because they will have carriage of the implementation of the projects that you'll hear announced today. So, they've had to have time to consider that and it will be done in conjunction with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation and our newly created Reconstruction Authority."

Minister Watt first acknowledged the fact that we are approaching our one-year megaflood anniversary.

"I know, that as we approach the one-year anniversary of these floods, that is bringing back really terrible memories for so many people in this region and that will be a very difficult time. And that's why I thought it was important that we got back here before that one year anniversary to give people some certainty about these projects going forward."

"In general terms, what we're announcing today is $50 million worth of federal investment, things like upgrades to assist with moving water out of out of creeks and drains and things like that as quickly as possible, assessments of evacuation routes because we know that there are a number of communities that were cut off very quickly, and also community resilience work road raising."

The projects listed will be Tranche 1 that are basically shovel ready so work can begin as soon as possible while more work is being done on Tranche 2, which involves the more sophisticated projects.

As we know, the larger flood mitigation solutions which may involve more substantial engineering solutions will be assessed as part of a whole of catchment study for the Northern Rivers during the final phase of the CSIRO research project which now looks like being released at the end of 2024, not May 2024 as initially indicated.

(CSIRO lead scientist Jai Vaze, Mayor Steve Krieg, Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin, Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt and the head of NEMA Brendan Moon on a Browns Creek bridge near Diadem Street)

The Rapid Prioritisation for Flood Resilience in the Northern Rivers, as report 1 is called, involves projects that have been identified by local councils waiting to be funded:

1. Regional community flood risk awareness - 16 proposals
2. A regional program to increase community flood risk awareness partnering with all LGAs, including flood risk information campaigns and flood warning signs.
3. Regional and local floor level surveys - 2 proposals
4. A regional program to complete floor level surveys for building across all LGAs to input into flood risk assessments.
5. Evacuation road infrastructure - 4 proposals
6. A regional assessment of evacuation routes, their capacity and options for infrastructure upgrades across all LGAs.
7. Community-led resilience - 1 proposal
8. Community-led resilience initiatives such as the Community-led Resilience Teams (CRTs). This is to ensure that community-led resilience efforts are supported across all LGAs. CRTs provide a formal structure, direction and guidance which complement community resources, people and capacity. CRTs enable the collective community voice to be channelled externally benefitting emergency management organisations such as SES, RFS and Councils. Local communities know their history, risks, people, resources, capacities and geographical locations better than anyone outside their community.

LISMORE

1. Flood risk management infrastructure - upgrades and maintenance of existing flood management infrastructure - 14 proposals
2. Extra pump at Lower Hollingsworth pump station.
3. Increase capacity in Browns Creek pump station.
4. Power supply backups for all pump stations.
5. Raise pump control rooms/towers in all pump stations.
6. Refurbish Browns Creek flood gate.
7. Refurbish Upper Hollingsworth Creek flood gate.
8. New electric submersible pump station (x2) at levee near Snow Street and Thre Chain Road.
9. Install an electric pump station to replace the tractor driven pump at the rowing club to remove CBD stormwater. Will improve evacuation from the CBD and providing better access to critical infrastructure and emergency services.
10. Improved communications to critical infrastructure with capacity to install CCTV and advanced it solutions.
11. Trash racks will reduce the risk of rubbish and debris being washed/sucked into pump intakes and causing damage to pumps.

Minister Watt said this first phase of flood mitigation will cost $50 million leaving $100 million (of the pledged $150 million) for phase 2.

"There's a range of other projects that have been recommended by CSIRO that we're still doing (that) due diligence work on with the New South Wales Government and we expect to be able to announce the remainder of that $100 million that's leftover over the next few months."

"So, every single project that we're announcing today has been recommended by CSIRO. Every one of these projects that we're announcing today has been highly ranked by CSIRO and there are other projects, as I say, that have been highly ranked by CSIRO that we're just going to do a bit more work on with the New South Wales Government before we're confident about the costings and whether they'll work and things like that."

Mayor Steve Krieg thanked the government and acknowledged the fact that we will start to see some action regarding flood mitigation.

"In Lismore, we've said for a long time now when are we actually going to see some action? This announcement today is things happening. You know, we've asked for many many years in Lismore that we need pump upgrades. Well, this is all fully funded through this report, and for the people of Lismore, that is a massive relief, and also an opportunity to say well, the government is actually doing something to help us."

In terms of the effectiveness of reducing flood levels with these first phase of projects, Jai Vaze Senior Principle Research Scientist CSIRO said that can only be measured after the CSIRO completes the two-year project.

"Phase 2 is collecting high quality datasets for the entire Northern Rivers and then building a hydrolic model for the Richmond catchment. Once we have the model, we can test those scenarios and actually tell how much we can reduce by doing what mitigation."

Mr Vaze went on to say that all of the projects are beneficial for the region.

When asked about the Flood Warning System upgrades and when they will be available, Minister Watt answered, "We have already announced as part of the previous funding from the Emergency Response Fund, $15 million in funding for NSW to upgrade the Flood Gauge System and Flood Warning Networks and we're now working through the implementation of that with NSW."

"You are right though, this report doesn't recommend any particular upgrades to flood gauges but what it does recommend is that there be some more work done between state and federal governments to analyse what's needed."

So, flood mitigation work can begin as soon as it can be organised with the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation, the body who will oversee implementation. It may not be the big answers that the community seeks which will help reduce insurance costs and bring large scale investment into the region with confidence but it is a start. The ball is rolling.

"This is the start, but we've been waiting many months now for some sort of action, "Mayor Krieg said, "And then yesterday the first round of buyback offers got released so that's a start in that space. This is a start now of the mitigation. I would like to think that our pump upgrades in Lismore, for example, are completed by Christmas."