Byron Shire Council emergency update –Friday 7 March
Published on 07 March 2025
With Cyclone Alfred expected to cross land north of Brisbane tomorrow, Council staff will continue working on 24-hour rosters responding to emergencies, many relating to trees over roads.
The focus is making sure major roads and evacuation routes are cleared as quickly as possible if conditions are safe for staff, as well as the ongoing operation of essential services such as water and sewer facilities.
Trees over roads or damage to roads, causeways etc
Call Council during business hours (8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday) – 02 6626 7000 or for after-hours emergencies over the weekend call 02 6622 7022.
Staff will do their best to get to the problem as quickly as they can. This may take several days.
Conserve water as power outages affect sewer and water services
People across Byron Shire are being asked to, where possible, only flush the toilet when necessary as council sewer operations are impacted by power outages caused by severe weather.
With a majority of sewer pump stations and some sewage treatment plants currently affected, think ‘If it’s brown flush it down. If it’s yellow let it mellow.’
Meanwhile Mullumbimby residents are asked to be mindful of water use as the town's water treatment plant is unable to produce drinking water due to high turbidity levels in the raw water supply. While current storage levels in reservoirs are good, maintaining reserves will be important until water conditions improve.
Sewer operations
Council operations are affected by power outages and as a result the majority of our sewer pump stations and some of our sewage treatment plants are running on generators.
Restoration of power is critical for our sewer network and Essential Energy is aware of this.
Residents who have localised sewer overflow should call Council.
Staff are prioritising this response and are focused on getting major pump stations operational and organising vacuum trucks to clean up.
Water operations
In Mullumbimby, the Rous emergency water main supplying east Mullumbimby is active and we are monitoring water levels in the Azalea Street reservoir and Left Bank Road reservoir.
Mullumbimby's water treatment plant is currently unable to process water because of high turbidity in the water in Lavertys Gap weir.
Current reserves in the Azalea Street and Left Bank Road reservoirs are adequate and council staff will resume drinking water production as soon as conditions allow, however in the meantime, residents can help by being mindful of water use.
This afternoon staff also responded to a significant water main break at Suffolk Park.
Three properties in the area are without water and have been notified that council staff will work to fix the problem when the cyclone passes.
Belongil and Tallow Creeks
Tallow Creek entrance opened naturally to the ocean on Thursday night (6 March) and Belongil Creek entrance was opened by Council staff Friday afternoon (7 March).
Today, conditions have thankfully allowed Tallow Creek to open naturally, lowering the additional flood risk for low-lying properties in Suffolk Park - for now.
We have also made the most of a small window of opportunity with the weather and have opened the mouth of Belongil Creek as best we could in the conditions.
It’s flowing as of Friday afternoon but how long it stays open for depends on the swell and the tide.
Waste
Kerbside waste collection (wheelie bins) will resume next week.
Those people who missed their collection this week can put all bins (red, yellow and green) out on their normal day next week.
The Byron Resource Recovery Centre is closed Friday and Saturday.
Beach Access and Coastal Erosion
All beach accesses managed by Byron Shire Council are closed.
Libraries
All library branches across the region including Byron Bay, Brunswick Heads, Mullumbimby, and the Mobile Library, are closed until further notice.
Council facilities and offices
The following facilities are closed:
- Byron Bay and Mullumbimby Pools
- Sports fields.
- Lone Goat Gallery
- Sandhills Early Childhood Centre closed Monday 10 March)
- Council-managed halls (to Sunday 9 March).
Contacting Council
SES
The SES is the lead agency for cyclones, storms, and flooding.
For help during flooding or weather emergencies, sandbags and damage to property call the SES on 132 500.
Evacuation Centres
NSW Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) has opened three evacuation centres in the Byron Shire:
- Mullumbimby Ex Services Club
- Ocean Shores Country Club
- Cavanbah Centre (Ewingsdale Road, Byron Bay)
If possible people should bring camp mattresses, blankets, pillows etc.
People can take pets to the evacuation centres where staff will do their best to accommodate them. Owners should take feed, leads, cages and bedding if available.
Currently DCJ is asking that no donations of bedding or other items are dropped off to evacuation centres.
Donations
People are asked not to drop or send donations into areas impacted by Cyclone Alfred because unrequested donations can hamper recovery efforts.
At the moment everyone, including the MDNC, is waiting to find out the impact of Cyclone Alfred.
People can however register to help with the Mullumbimby and District Neighbourhood Centre’s Spontaneous (MDNC) Volunteers.
The MDNC is taking early volunteer registrations for food support, material aid, and counselling (only). https://nz.becollective.com/.../64dc5ee4a102c0d17.../profile
The MDNC is not currently taking registrations for clean-up activities.
Keep informed
The Byron Shire Emergency Dashboard, https://emergency.byron.nsw.gov.au/, has links to the following emergency services and information:
- SES
- Emergency broadcaster - ABC North Coast (94.5FM or 720AM)
- Bureau of Meteorology
- Live Traffic
- Essential Energy
- River heights
- Flood cameras