Local memory · practical preparation
The roads and bridges that connect us have a history. These local reports help us ask better questions about our own household plans.
5 historical records · dates below refer to past events
March 2017
Repentance Creek
The Echo’s 30 March 2017 report listed Repentance Creek Road among Byron Shire’s closed roads during the regional flood emergency. Its Lismore list also included Corndale Road near the public school.
A prompt for your plan · MRN interpretation
Which bridge or low crossing does your usual journey rely on? Discuss what you would do if that connection were unavailable.
The Echo · 30 March 2017
December 2020
Rosebank & Clunes
Lismore City Council records that the Mackie Road causeway at Rosebank was destroyed in a December 2020 storm. The later bridge project documents how a damaged creek crossing can require a substantial reconstruction, beyond the original weather event.
A prompt for your plan · MRN interpretation
Plan for disruption that lasts beyond the storm itself. Think about supplies, care arrangements and who can help if normal access is interrupted.
Lismore City Council · 9 June 2023
Your Say Lismore · 14 February 2023
March 2022
Upper Coopers Creek
In a council update published by The Echo on 4 March 2022, Englishes Bridge at Upper Coopers Creek was reported lost, with a major landslip and access cut off. The same update described communications outages and widespread damage across the hinterland.
A prompt for your plan · MRN interpretation
Keep important contacts and a household plan available without internet. A clear sky or falling water does not establish that a damaged crossing is safe.
The Echo · 4 March 2022
May 2023
Rosebank & Clunes
Council’s 30 May 2023 works update said the new Mackie Road bridge at Johnston Creek was complete and announced the road would reopen on 31 May. The June opening report records the replacement of the storm-damaged causeway.
A prompt for your plan · MRN interpretation
Recovery milestones matter too. Check dated council updates for reopening information, rather than relying on old closure notices or an assumed detour.
Your Say Lismore · 30 May 2023
Cyclone Alfred · 2025
Across the valley
Byron Shire Council’s March 2026 recovery report attributes extensive damage to Cyclone Alfred in 2025. It lists bridge repairs on Repentance Creek and Englishes roads, and landslip works on Upper Coopers Creek Road, among the recovery projects.
A prompt for your plan · MRN interpretation
Review your plan after each event. New damage can affect familiar roads; historical access patterns are not a guarantee for the next emergency.
Byron Shire Council · 9 March 2026
Mirage News · Byron Shire Council release · 9 March 2026
Byron Shire Council · Project reference
Think about loss of road access, electricity and mobile reception together. Who would you contact, what would you need, and what would prompt you to leave early?
Make or update my disaster plan →Have a dated newspaper article, council notice or a correction? Email a link and the road or place it concerns. Please leave private addresses and personal accounts out unless everyone involved has agreed to share them.
Suggest a reference →References reviewed 4 November 2026. This is a selected local record, not an exhaustive history or property-specific risk assessment. Summaries are MRN’s; newspaper articles and council notices remain with their publishers. Planning prompts are our interpretation of those records.