Community input on Bray Park Weir

TWEED Shire Council is seeking feedback from landowners on the best solution to prevent saltwater contamination of the shire’s primary water source.

Two options will be presented to prevent salination in the Bray Park Weir pool and mitigate the risks of current management practices.

Saltwater contamination can occur due to rising sea levels and more frequent sea level anomalies.

The short-term solution of concrete blocks on the weir endangers the safety of Council workers and disrupts fish movements in the Tweed River.

Council water and wastewater business and assets manager Michael Wraight said the weir was a vital barrier preventing saltwater from mixing with the freshwater supply.

“From the start of 2017, there have been 90 overtopping tidal events, with 66 requiring our workers to place concrete blocks along the weir to prevent saltwater from entering the weir pool,” Mr Wraight said.

“We need to find a long-term solution for protecting the weir pool, which is where we draw drinking water for the vast majority of households and businesses across the Tweed.”

Landowners will consider two options: raising the weir by 800 millimetres or 1300 millimetres. An independent assessment has identified that a 1300-millimetre increase would raise water levels during floods immediately upstream of the weir by 10 millimetres but would have minimal impact further upstream.

“We need to focus on a long-term solution that safeguards our water supply and reduces the need for regular and risky interventions while balancing environmental impacts and community needs,” Mr Wraight said.

“Raising the weir by 1300 millimetres would give us the most effective protection until 2100. Raising it by 800 millimetres would last until around 2050, which means we’d likely need to revisit the issue again in coming decades.”

Submissions close at 4pm on November 22. For more information, visit yoursaytweed.com.au/BrayParkWeir