Emergency dashboard now live

Ballina Shire Council has launched a new emergency dashboard to help provide critical information to our local community during emergency events.

Over the past few years our region has experienced the full force of mother nature. Together we have battled flooding, bushfires, and storm events. The need for accurate and timely information during these emergency events is vital, which is why Ballina Shire Council has developed an online Emergency Dashboard.

The online platform allows users to access important information from several agencies all in one place. It lists key updates such as road closures, ferry updates, river heights, power outages, weather radar, fire locations, beach conditions and airport status information.

The dashboard also provides key emergency contact details all in one place, such as SES, Police, Fire Service, Ambulance, Live Traffic, and local radio station channels.

This platform has been modelled on other local governments emergency dashboards that have been successful in Byron Bay, Tweed Heads and Lismore.

Access the dashboard at emergency.ballina.nsw.gov.au

Crews detect water leaks by listening

For 7 weeks from Monday 15 August 2022, expert technicians will be hunting for water leaks throughout more than 600 kilometres of the Tweed’s water supply pipes.

Contracted by the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, the technicians from Aqua Analytics will use advanced acoustic technology to pinpoint leaking water in about 85% of the supply network pipes, starting in Tweed Heads and moving south.

Council crews will undertake on-ground works where needed to reduce water loss.

Council’s Water and Wastewater Operations Manager Brie Jowett said the acoustic technology was state-of-art, and would pinpoint water leaks that are hard to detect.

“Not all leaks show at ground-level – many are hidden,” Ms Jowett said.

“When there’s a leak in a pressurised water pipe, it generates a distinct sound that the acoustic technology detects. Skilled technicians will move through our water supply network, listening for this sound in our water pipes, fire hydrants, valves and water meters.

“As they detect leaks, the techs will make reports so Council crews can undertake repair works.

“If a leak is detected in the private plumbing on the customer side of a water meter, Council will notify the customer to a possible leak. It’s a massive job that will result in water savings throughout the Tweed.”

The Department of Planning and Environment, through the NSW Water Efficiency Program, has contracted Aqua Analytics to carry out the leak detection.

Residents may notice Aqua Analytics crews with a device that looks like a metal detector.

While only water mains on public land and road reserves will be surveyed, technicians may need to access private property to assess water meters and supply pipes. There will be no excavation works or loss of water supply.

As part of their work, the technicians may detect leaks within the private plumbing on the customer side of water meters. If a leak is suspected in your plumbing, Council will notify you.

For further information or questions, please call 02 6670 2400 or email tsc@tweed.nsw.gov.au.

Council monitoring Belongil Creek

Byron Shire Council staff are monitoring water levels in Belongil Creek with the entrance to the creek now closed after the recent large seas.
Belongil Creek is an ICOLL, an intermittent closed and open lagoon that opens and closes to the ocean.
Belongil Creek has been flowing into the ocean for approximately 12 months, but the big swell in late July resulted in a build-up of sand across the mouth of the creek and it is now closed.
Council has received calls from people who are concerned about the build-up of water as a result of the creek closing and while Council staff are monitoring the levels, there are no immediate plans to open the creek.
Phil Holloway, Director Infrastructure Services, said there is, understandably, a high level of anxiety in the community about the potential for flooding after the weather event in March this year.
“ICOLLs like Belongil Creek are complex environmental systems and there are strict NSW Government regulations relating to any artificial opening because of the potential impact on fish and other marine creatures,” he said.
“Council only has a licence from the NSW Government to open Belongil Creek for flood mitigation and to do this there are other factors that need to be taken into account such as forecast rain, and ocean conditions,” Mr Holloway said.
“Staff are closely monitoring the situation at Belongil and water levels are stable and there is no case to open the creek artificially.
“We are keeping a close eye on the situation and should the situation change, or if heavy rain is forecast, things will be reassessed,” Mr Holloway said.