Tweed Heads South locality study

Update 30/05/2025:

To help develop a Climate Change Adaptation Plan for Tweed Shire Council, we’ve zoomed in on Tweed Heads South to invite community perspectives about high-level ideas to enhance Council’s response to changing climate conditions.

Tweed Heads South was selected as a trial study site. The updated Tweed Valley Flood study highlighted the potential for more homes in Tweed Heads South to be impacted than other places by flooding in future. The South Tweed Levee and Drainage study is well underway to investigate improvement options further.

Tweed Heads South is also potentially at risk from tidal inundation, it is a location with a strong economic hub, has significant Aboriginal Cultural Heritage sites, natural assets, and a community that hasn’t experienced significant flooding in recent times. Some of Tweed Heads South’s demographic factors also indicate higher levels of social vulnerability compared to other parts of the Tweed.

The CC Adaptation Plan community project reference group encouraged Council to do more to address community needs in this project. RHDHV consultants helped map climate hazards and community vulnerabilities for the area, using climate hazard information from Council’s publicly available GIS data. TSC CC risk owners with asset/operation/program interests in Tweed Heads South were assisted to summarise 14 key adaptation priorities for community and agency/community group feedback:

1. Tweed Heads South Levee and Drainage Study
2. Updates to Flood Planning Controls to incorporate climate change and best available data
3. Aboriginal Cultural Heritage (ACH) Mapping Update
4. Client and vulnerable community emergency preparedness
5. Co-design of community climate adaptation activities
6. Biodiversity climate change adaptation plan
7. Building business resilience against damaging weather events
8. Biting insect monitoring, management and education
9. Planning for future impacts on existing development
10. Tree mapping, planning and management
11. Future foreshores management planning
12. Planning reforms to support tidal wetland migration
13. Raising Clarrie Hall Dam
14. Bray Park Weir Tidal Protection Project

A letter box drop and direct invitations through Council programs’ networks invited community members to attend a drop-in session on Friday 23 May from 8.30 – 11am at the South Tweed Community Hall. 40 community members attended, appreciating the chance to see Tweed Heads South climate hazard maps and to share their thoughts on:

• Support for Council’s adaptation priorities
• Any gaps or other priorities from a community perspective
• Personal feelings about vulnerability to the impacts of climate change.

NSW Reconstruction Authority representatives were on-hand to share information about the Northern Rivers Disaster Adaptation Plan.

Agency, business and community group representatives attended a workshop from 12.30 – 3pm, attended by 16 representatives of NSW agencies, community and business groups such as the NSW Reconstruction Authority, EPA, DEECCW, Health, Essential Energy, Red Cross, SES, Tweed City and members of the community project reference group. Participants reviewed climate hazard maps for the area considering:

• Reflections from Elders: Adapting to the changing environment, responding to seasonal conditions, extra effort needed to maintain culture, interconnectedness, shared stewardship
• Key risks and who may be affected
• Potential solutions
• Feedback on Council’s adaptation priorities
• New actions needed.

The consultants are writing up the results of the community consultation and workshop. TSC CC risk owners will be invited to:

• Consider feedback from community consultation so far
• Complete the prioritisation of their adaptation options
• Finalise key adaptation priorities and associated KPIs
• Seek internal peer review and feedback from the community project reference group

A draft CC Adaptation Plan is anticipated to be ready for Council review, and broad community consultation by the end of the year.

This PRG Expression of Interest is now closed.

10 Community members have been appointed to the Climate Change Adaptation Project Reference Group, from a diverse range of skills, experience and backgrounds. Councillors are also invited to observe and comment at Group meetings.

The Project Reference Group is now meeting monthly (or as required) to provide feedback to Council on its plans to respond to the impacts of climate change on its assets, programs and service delivery, as well as providing a community lens for how these impacts are likely to impact the Tweed community.

Council has appointed external consultants to review and support Council's adaptation plan preparation and work with internal stakeholders in preparing and prioritising actions. The program is scheduled to complete in 2025, with members of the Project Reference Group agreeing to continue until completion.

Council is setting up a Project Reference Group to review its Climate Change Adaptation Plan

The Project Reference Group will give feedback to Council on its plan for adapting to climate change.

The Climate Change Adaptation Project Reference Group will review and provide input into climate change adaptation actions across Council program areas, including:

• Conservation
• Coasts and Waterways
• Water and Wastewater
• Roads and Stormwater
• Parks and Active Communities
• Community Services
• Natural Area Management
  
  

Applicants were asked to address the following questions:

• Provide an overview of the relevant knowledge, skills and experience you will bring to the Climate Change Adaptation Project Reference Group
• List any committees, organisations or community groups where you have membership, employment or interest
• Describe why you want to participate in the Climate Change Adaptation Reference Group and why you believe you will be a good fit for this group
• Nominate three preferred meeting times during a typical week; meeting times cannot be guaranteed, but every effort will be made to select times that maximise participation of all group members

Refer to the Expression of Interest document for more information.

The call for Expressions of Interest concluded at the close of business, 20 May 2024.