Flood Recovery Program Reaches Milestone
Catchphrase: Tweed Shire Council has completed its final major building restoration project stemming from the devastating 2022 floods, marking the end of a multi-million-dollar resilience program.
Tweed Shire Council has completed the final building restoration project resulting from the record-breaking 2022 flood disaster, bringing to a close an extensive recovery program that has strengthened dozens of community facilities against future extreme weather events.
The final works were carried out at the John Rabjones and Les Cave Sports Facility in Murwillumbah, completing a $6.8 million building resilience program delivered across approximately 40 flood-damaged community buildings throughout the Tweed.
Project Director Flood Restoration Kurt Heidecker said the completion of the program marked a significant achievement in improving the resilience of Council-owned facilities.
“This program has fundamentally changed how our community buildings withstand and recover from flooding,” Mr Heidecker said.
“By building back better, we’ve reduced future recovery times, reduced building waste generated by disasters and ensured our facilities can reopen much sooner after severe weather.”
The Murwillumbah sports facility underwent extensive upgrades designed to better withstand future flood events. Improvements included a flood-hardened canteen, upgraded drainage and irrigation systems, resilient grandstand improvements, flood-resistant clubhouse materials, new steel and aluminium staircases, upgraded decking and balustrades, a complete roof replacement and a fully upgraded car park to improve accessibility.
Funding for these works was provided by the NSW Government’s Office of Sport through the Sport Priority Needs Program (SPNP), Essential Community Sport Assets Program (ESCAP) and the Community Assets Program (CAP).
Across the broader restoration program, Council incorporated a range of resilience measures into repaired buildings, including the installation of flood-hardy construction materials, raising electrical infrastructure above likely flood levels and introducing design improvements aimed at minimising future flood damage.
Council said these improvements contributed to the reinstatement of flood insurance across its building portfolio and were recognised with honours at the 2025 Statewide Mutual Risk Management Excellence Awards.
The completion of the building restoration program also comes as recovery from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues. Council reported that 55 building repair projects associated with the 2025 weather event have already been completed, with a further four projects currently underway.
The program represents a long-term investment in community infrastructure, ensuring Council-owned buildings are better prepared to withstand future natural disasters while reducing recovery costs and enabling important community facilities to reopen more quickly following severe weather.
Residents seeking further information about Council’s flood restoration program can visit the Tweed Shire Council website.
