Who Is Save Our River Towns?
SORT is a community volunteer group that has the sole purpose of investigating if the construction of the M1 Pacific Motorway had an adverse effect on all residents who suffered in the Feb 2022 Lismore Floods.
About 1000 Residents, both Tenants and Owners, Business Operators & Owners, and many Farmers from Woodburn to Ballina formed SORT after the Lismore floods.
We all want to know if the new Motorway made the floods worse for us. That said, it is our “Gut Feel” the new M1 Pacific Motorway acted as a levy bank, and water, that used to run across the cane fields to Evans Head, was captured and channeled along the new a 3M to 8M high almost solid wall that supports the Motorway in the 60km stretch from Woodburn to Ballina.
Nick is in charge of the proposed class action litigation. To discuss SORT please contact Nick Crouch, 0411274545, or send him a email nick@crouch.com.au
Nick owns a shop in Ballina, that flooded for the first time during the floods and put together this lobby group as a means of helping our community recovery.
SORT supports the many community groups and Government & Councils that help all flood victims. We need your help to help the flood victims and survivors.
THE M1 WOODBURN CLASS ACTION
Did the new M1 Pacific Motorway act as a levy bank that contributed to flood victims’ losses?
We have instructed our lawyers to investigate this issue. If our lobbying doesn’t work and a viable class action exists, we want to determine how many people will assist and/or join the proposed class action litigation.
Joining this class action is optional and separate to joining our lobby group. Any litigation will be on the basis there’s no cost to those who join.
Finding the facts
Currently there is no litigation on foot. We are merely attempting to find the facts. If the vital infrastructure was built in a defective manner, we expect the Government will be honest and open and acknowledge this. Further, we would expect the Government to compensate us and fix the road.
SORT pursued the Government Department responsible for the relevant section of the M1 Pacific Motorway to complete and provide the hydrology reports that would tell us where the flood waters would have flowed without the new motorway.
In September 2022, Transport NSW released a 330 page report (linked below) which makes it clear that they think the new M1 Pacific Motorway did not adversely affect virtually any of the flood victims.
Transport NSW has, to date, refused to provide us the flood modeling data they used to form their view and it follows we cannot independently verify the Transport NSW assessment.
Whilst discussions about access to their model and data have started afresh, we have determined that the best way to assist our investigations is to engage litigation funders to progress the class action.
All our members or anybody who believes the damage they suffered from the 2022 flood was made worse by the M1 Pacific Motorway should download and complete the claim form linked below. This claim form will allow you to estimate the value of your loss.
THE FLOOD INQUIRY
The 2022 Flood Inquiry established by the NSW premier has finalised its report. It can be download here by clicking the links below. Pages 309 and 310 makes some observations about the impact of the M1 Pacific Motorway.
The Flood Inquiry states:
Many Northern Rivers residents expressed concern that the recent M1 Pacific Highway upgrade failed to cope with flood impacts and risks adequately, and they consider its design may even have contributed to the severity of flooding experienced in Woodburn and surrounding areas by acting like a dam, blocking the escape of floodwaters to the Evans River.
Whilst there are pipes under the wall of the motorway, many local residents consider them inadequate for floodwaters.1017
The Pacific Highway upgrade was informed by consultation and supported by flood studies in being designed to “maintain a minimum one-in-20 year flood immunity across the major floodplains and one-in-100 years elsewhere”.1018
However, flooding in the Northern Rivers region in February and March 2022 has been estimated to be between 1 in 1000-2000 year floods (i.e. an AEP of 0.1% to 0.05%).
JOIN US
MEDIA
ABC News
There are questions about whether a multi-billion dollar highway may have prolonged flooding in the north of New South Wales. Bruce Mackenzie reports.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-12/northern-nsw-residents-say-pacific-highway-acted/13838194
ABC News
Hundreds of flood-affected residents on the NSW north coast are threatening to sue the state and federal governments over concerns the new Pacific Highway made the recent floods worse by acting as a "dam wall".
The Sunday Project
Flood ravaged communities in northern NSW are blaming one of Australia’s largest infrastructure projects for making the recent flood disaster last longer and cause more damage. Farmers and locals warned it was going to happen and say they were ignored.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u8bMSw8yr0
INDYNR
Did the new highway make the floods worse? Transport authorities respond, residents seek class action
SAVE OUR RIVER TOWNS
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