Byron Bay Drainage Upgrade Design Project

Announcement

The detailed design was endorsed with changes at the March 2025 Ordinary Council Meeting.

Construction is expected to start in mid-2025. Further information about construction will be provided in the coming months.

Project typeDesign upgrades to Byron Bay’s drainage system
Project value$1,281,720
Project scheduleComplete

Aerial view of the Byron Skate Park with Cape-Byron-and-the-Lighthouse in the background

The detailed design was endorsed with changes at the March 2025 Ordinary Council Meeting. This project informed Council as to how to best prioritise drainage upgrades that target existing deficiencies in the drainage systems.

The project reviewed the preferred Byron Drainage Strategy, and developed a plan that aims to reduce the risk of flooding in the town centre.

Construction is expected to start in mid-2025. Further information about construction will be provided in the coming months.

Community consultation

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

Come along to a drop-in session at Byron Farmers Market from 7am to 11am at the Butler Street Reserve, on the following dates:

Thursday 10 April 2025.
Thursday 17 April 2025.
Thursday 8 May 2025.
Thursday 15 May 2025.

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

Detailed design

Australian Government’s Preparing Australian Communities program $1,081,720
Council is contributing $200,000 to the project.
Byron Bay Drainage Upgrade Town Centre Detailed Design (PDF, 25MB)

Drainage upgrades

We have received funding for the construction Town Centre Catchment and the Recreation Grounds Catchment.

$7M for gravity drainage upgrades in the Town Centre Catchment, has been jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments through the Infrastructure Betterment Fund.

$11.8M for gravity drainage upgrades in the Recreation Grounds Catchment has been funded by the Australian Government through the Emergency Response Fund administered by NSW Reconstruction Authority’s Northern Rivers Recovery and Resilience Program 22-23.

We will need additional grant funding to complete construction of the remaining stages.

Staging

The upgrade to drainage will require construction to be staged. The Town Centre Catchment design is Council's first priority, followed by the Recreation Grounds Catchment.

The detailed design for The Town Centre Catchment is complete and an Expression of Interest (EOI) was issued in December 2024, to find a suitable construction contractor to do the work.