Byron Bay Drainage Upgrade

• Works will primarily occur Monday to Friday between 7am and 5.30pm and on Saturday from 7am to 5pm. There may be other 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 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 with businesses and property owners is ongoing (started March 2024). 

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.

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. 

Other projects that are already underway or complete include:

• The Byron Bay Drainage Upgrade Town Centre Detailed Design (PDF, 25MB) was completed in March 2025.
• The Sandhills Wetland was restored in 2025.
• Drainage was upgraded on Tennyson Street in 2025.
• The drainage and road on Lawson Street (East) were upgraded in 2024.

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.