Byron Bay Drainage Upgrade

Announcement

The intersection at Jonson Street and Byron Street in Byron Bay is closed. Please use detour routes.

  • Project typeUpgrade Byron Bay’s drainage system
  • Project scheduleStage one of construction in the Town Centre Catchment will run until November 2026 (weather permitting).
Byron Bay Drainage drone shot of Byron Street - re-sized.jpg

Council is upgrading the drainage in Byron Bay to reduce the impacts and frequency of flooding in the town centre.

Stage 1 of drainage upgrades in the Town Centre Catchment will run until November 2026 (weather permitting). This includes Byron Street, part of Jonson Street, and in the Lawson Street Car Park South and rail corridor. 

The road surface and footpaths on sections of Byron Street will also be improved. More trees and seating will be added to the town centre. 

Timing of work and impacts

To note - schedule is subject to change during construction. Full closures of roads may be necessary at times to facilitate construction of this essential infrastructure. Notification will be given in advance of these closures.

The old sewerage treatment plant at Suffolk Park is being used as an additional work site for the storage and treatment of acid sulphate soils (ASS).

From April 2026 - weather permitting

What and where When

Pedestrian bridge between Butler Street and rail corridor closed.

Enter/exit town to the North/South of the pedestrian bridge for access to town and Butler Street/Byron Bay Interchange (including the Byron Farmers Market).

Some of the rail corridor not accessible.

 Closure remains in place until mid-2026.

 
Laneway between Guzman Y Gomez and Byron Hot Bread Kitchen.
             
 Closure currently in place, but pedestrian access in front of laneway has been restored.             
Closure of the intersection at Jonson Street and Byron Street.

U-turn bays provided. 

Signage, traffic control and temporary parking restrictions in place.

Pedestrian access will be maintained where possible, but people will need to follow signage/directions from traffic control.

 Closure currently in place.

During April the construction area will extend further south.

Drainage works on Byron Street.

Traffic control and temporary parking restrictions in place.

Drainage upgrade works are progressing along Byron Street. 

Maps

Illustrated maps of construction area, pedestrian access and lane closures. 

Select an image to view in full screen. 

Illustrated map of Byron Bay Drainage works and road closures

Illustrated map of Byron Bay Drainage works and road closures

(PNG, 511KB)
Construction of Stage 1 of Town Centre Catchment

Construction of Stage 1 of Town Centre Catchment

(PNG, 372KB)

What to expect during works

  • Works will primarily occur Monday to Friday between 7am and 5.30pm. There may be weekend and night works at times, this will be communicated through Council’s communication channels and directly to residents/businesses prior to these works occurring. Access to the site outside of these hours to set up and remove equipment may occur.
  • Restricted access/temporary closures – Redirection and closure of roads, and parking spaces will occur. Through traffic will be detoured and local traffic will be reduced to one lane. Council and contractors will attempt to keep this to a minimum.
  • Traffic control, electronic message boards and signage will be in place throughout the project to keep the community informed and manage access including pedestrian access and deliveries.
  • Noise/dust – At times, there will be machinery noise, including drilling and vacuum excavation, as well as dust. There will be measures in place to reduce dust and noise impacts, such as construction hoarding.
  • No work occurred in the road reserve during the Easter 2026 long weekend or during the December/January 2025/2026 school holidays.
  • Businesses will be open and we encourage you to support them during construction.
  • Please note the Byron Bay Community Market is currently held on the foreshore until work is complete.

Community consultation

Community consultation with businesses and property owners is ongoing (started March 2024). 

History of flooding

Byron Bay has a history of flooding during heavy rain, and this affects businesses and residents. It is further compounded by:

  • low terrain
  • ocean levels
  • Belongil Creek
  • Belongil Creek floodplain.

Funding

Stage 1 of construction of the Town Centre Catchment is funded by:

  • The Australian and NSW Governments through the Infrastructure Betterment Fund.
  • The Australian Government through the Emergency Response Fund administered by NSW Reconstruction Authority’s Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program 22-23.
  • Byron Shire Council Byron Bay Masterplan Town Centre Masterplan Reserve.

We will need additional grant funding to complete construction of the remaining stages including the rest of the Town Centre Catchment, Recreation Grounds Catchment and Shirley Street Catchment. 

Related projects

Other projects that are already underway or complete include:

These projects received funding by the Australian and NSW Governments and Council through various programs.

Once the drainage system is completely upgraded it will improve the quality of water that ends up on Clarkes Beach.

Location

Byron Street, Byron Bay 2481  View Map

Google Map

Contact details

Chris Soulsby
02 6626 7000
csoulsby@byron.nsw.gov.au

Timeline

Project design

April 2023 to March 2025

Stage 1 of construction in Town Centre Catchment

September 2025 to November 2026 (weather permitting).

Stage 2 of construction in Town Centre Catchment

TBC - subject to additional funding.

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