A large-scale project to remove flood debris from the Tweed River using underwater divers and barge-mounted excavators has been completed.
The cleanup, coordinated with the support of the NSW Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Council, removed more than 890 cubic meters of targeted flood debris from the beaches of the River Tweed and Tweed Coast, from cars to fallen trees and even boats. I was. I collected pontoons.
After aerial surveys conducted following the floods in February and March 2022 showed a large amount of debris in the River Tweed, the cleanup, which took place from April to mid-September, included water from the channel. included removal of man-made and natural debris.
Contractors handpicked all man-made debris found along the Tweed River and Tweed Beach shorelines, with larger items collected via barge-mounted excavators.
The council’s senior program leader, Waterways Tom Aletson, said the river has become much cleaner thanks to the efforts of the EPA and its contractors.
“The unprecedented amount of water down the Tweed River has dumped an incredible amount of garbage into the waterway,” Aletson said.
“We are grateful to the EPA for helping clean up the debris. It will take time for the river to return to its former state, but this is a positive start.”
The amount of litter collected by the EPA was on top of the large amount of waste collected by the council from riverbanks and beaches in the immediate aftermath of the flood.
Trees posing a navigational hazard were identified by NSW Maritime and removed by excavator barges or crane boats. Meanwhile, dangerous underwater debris was identified using multi-beam sonar technology and removed using expert underwater divers.
The submersion hazard assessment identified 29 items of potential immediate risk to human health or the environment. This includes navigational hazards such as large trees and man-made objects with potential chemical hazards. After inspection by divers, 12 items were determined not to be flood waste that presented a nautical or environmental hazard and were not removed.
Three vehicles were removed, determined to be flood waste and pose a risk to the environment.
Over 50 cubic meters of flood waste and a 12 tonne pontoon in South Murwillumbah have also been removed from the Ukelberg Nature Reserve. The pontoon has been returned to its owner.
With support from Tweed Byron Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC) rangers, the Tweed Aboriginal Co-operative Association, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and the Council, EPA flood cleanup crews cleared Ukelberg Island. rice field.
Removed flood debris includes various plastics, building materials, tires, chemical/oil/plastic drums, gas cylinders, furniture, white goods, hay bales, and natural debris that poses a navigational hazard. was
A total of 54km of Tweed River shoreline was inspected after the cleanup operation was completed.
While the EPA program has been very helpful in clearing flood debris from rivers, the Council’s Waterways Program recently completed its second campaign to clear flood debris from the Oxley Cove Canal Estate.
Hundreds of tons of woody debris was again washed into the canal system as a result of heavy September rains. The only option to remove large debris is manual collection by Council staff.
“Staff cleared debris from the canal property in April, following floods in March, and in October, following rains in September. I’m worried,” Alletson said.
The river will be subject to an EPA maintenance cleanup for six months beginning in September 2022.
