Disasters

IN THE EVENT of a DISASTER

Minor flooding:

Minor flooding is a regular occurrence in our catchment area. Heavy rainfall can result in local causeways and roads becoming impassable for a period of time. Depending on how much rainfall, it could be merely an hour or so, ranging through to around 24 hours when the water makes its way downstream (mostly to Lismore).

When flooding occurs it is best to stay off the roads and NEVER attempt to cross flooded causeways or roads either on foot or in vehicles. The speed of the water or submerged debris such as logs can sweep you or your vehicle into the floodwaters. Always remember, IF IT'S FLOODED - FORGET IT.

Major flooding, bushfires, cyclones etc

When these occur, parts or all of our area may become isolated from external help for a period of time and as we saw in the 2022 Floods, power and normal communications can be lost.

The triggers for the Nimbin Disaster Resilience Group activating the community-led response under the Nimbin Community Disaster Plan (see below) include such things as Watch and Act alerts from RFS or SES, extreme weather warnings from e.g. BOM or SES, verified local knowledge including monitoring of the Nimbin river height guage on Goolamangar Creek.

Our local Police and RFS brigades are the primary responders in a disaster situation. If a community response is required, initiatives such as the Nimbin Emergency Radio Network (NERN) and the Community Care Team (CCT) will augment the work on the ground by the combat agencies, by assisting to undertake welfare checks of residents in their local neighbourhoods, and relaying verified and reliable information back and forth between the community and the combat agencies, to optimise the application of key resources (e.g. choppers, fire trucks etc) where they are most needed.

If a disaster occurs, you may get a visit from one of your friendly local CCT members to check if you are okay and if you need anything. This information will then be relayed back to home base in the village and particularly to NNIC, so that we can get people the help they need as quickly as possible. CCT members are trained and must have current Work with Children Check numbers.

The NERN has been set up to deal with situations where communications are down across the catchment or parts thereof. There are 17 NERN radioholders across our catchment, all of whom conduct regular monthly radio checks to ensure everything will be operational if/when it is needed.

If people need to evacuate from their homes, the Evacuation Centre (Nimbin Showgrounds) can be opened by our local Police or the Local Emergency Management Officer in Lismore City Council.

Because our main community social media page, Nimbin Hook Ups, can become quite clogged up with general chatter during times of disasters, the Hook Ups Admin team monitor the site closely and try to keep the most important official information posts in clear view.

To make their job easier, however there is a dedicated Face Book group, Nimbin Disaster Resilience Group, which will only feature the most updated information and advice etc and so we recommend that everyone joins that group in order to keep track of the most up to date information.

Always Stay Safe and follow recommendations by the RFS and SES etc. Make Sure you have your Bushfire Plan in place and be ready to activate it if necessary.

IF YOU NEED HELP IN AN EMERGENCY, CALL 000. For all other help, the Neighbourhood Centre is a good place to start. Call us on 66891692 or emails us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Emergency Numbers

Ambulance 000 Fire 000 Police 000

If you have a speech or hearing impaiment call 106

SES 132 500

Fire permits/report fires - Northern Rivers Fire Control Centre 6663 0000

Nimbin Police 6689 1244 (NOTE: in an emergency ALWAYS call 000)

Nimbin Hospital 6688 1400

Nimbin GP Clinic 6689 1410

Health Direct 1800 022 222 (24 hours help line for general health advice)

Nimbin Village Pharmacy 6689 1448

Essential Energy - power outages 13 20 80

Useful Links

For up to date information about disasters in the Lismore Local Government Area visit the Disaster Dashboard

Hazards Near Me app (Note: This new app replecase the former Fires Near Me app and includes flood and other info)

Satellite Hot Spots (Note: NOT to be relied upon in life threatening situations)

Hazard Watch - new SES site tracking flood, storm and tsunami hazards

Local Road Closures

Bureau of Meteorology (BOM)

Just Weather a very handy site with hourly weather updates in local and regional areas.

Food Relief, Material aid, volunteering - NNIC - THIS WEBSITE

For More Local Info

ABC Radio North Coast 94.5 FM

NimFM Radio 102.3 FM

Facebook Groups:

Nimbin Disaster Resilence Group

Nimbin Hook Ups

Nimbin Rural Fire Brigade

Northern Rivers NSW SES

Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre

Not on Social Media?

In the event of a severe emergency event NNIC will publish regular updates including local info taken from social media on this website.

In ongoing emergency situations, such as the 2019 bushfire and 2022 flood events, posters containing up-to-date information will be posted around the village including outside of the Neighbourhood Centre, the Community Centre and the Nimbin Town Hall.

Planning for Disasters

Get Ready Survival Kit Items

To check if your property is in a bushfire prone area go to the RFS website here.

To check if your property is on flood prone land got to SES here.

For information and tips on how to make a Bushfire Survival Plan

For information and tips from the SES on making a Floods/Storms Emergency Plan

For information and tips from Resilience NSW on preparing emergecy surival and emergency evacuation kits click here

For more information and tips from the Red Cross on preparing an Emergency Survival kit

Preparing for Heatwaves: Beat the Heat

Important Message from SES to Northern Rivers Residents: Be prepared for a predicted season of heavy weather. More info and helpful tips here.

Mental Health and Other Support

For generalist information and referrals call Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre (NNIC), weekdays 10am to 4pm 6689 1692, or drop in at 71 Cullen Street, Nimbin.

For crisis support, material aid and support with financial distress book an appointment with our NNIC Community Worker (Wed-Fridays 10am-4pm) 6689 1692.

For a list of local health practitioners, HELPLINE services and phone numbers, see the Health section of this website.

Nmbin Centrelink/Services Australia Agency: Located at NNIC. open 10am-2.30pm Mon-Thursday, 10am-2pm Fridays. Some of the key Centrelink numbers are:

Newstart 132 850

DSP 132 717

Aged pension 132 300

Families 136 150

Youth Allowance 132 490

Are you suffering from Eco/Climate-Anxiety? Eco-anxiety (sometimes called ‘eco-distress’ or ‘climate-anxiety’), is a way of describing how people feel when they hear bad news about our planet, the climate, and the environment.

You might feel anxious, worried, upset, scared, sad, angry, overwhelmed or unsure about the future. And that’s completely understandable: climate change is a very real issue, affecting lives, livelihoods, the economy and ecosystems right around the world. For Tips and Tools on how to deal with this see this useful link.

Wildlife Information, Advice and rescues

WIRES 1300 094 737

NRWC 6628 1866

Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers 6672 4789

Friends of the Koala 6622 1233

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NEWS and Updates

Nimbin Disaster Resilience Project This project, which was generously funded by the Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF) wound up in October 2023.

The funding was invaluable in enabling us to revise and consult around the Nimbin Community Disaster Plan, purchase emergency evacuation equipment and supplies, shore up the Emergency Radio Network, and build the Community Care Team. Many thanks to NRCF and also to Virginia Waters, our Project Officer, who carried this project forward so expertly and competently. Thanks also to Steph, Kylie and Anna, and the NDRG volunteers - all of whom ensured the project was delived according to plan.

community members at the NCDP consultation

Revised Nimbin Community Disaster Plan can be viewed or downloaded here. This is a reduced size version to make it easier to access. To view a hard copy of the full resolution file drop into NNIC during our opening hours. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the revision process.

The Report on the Community Survey conducted in late 2022 in relation to the draft revised Plan can be veiwed or downloaded from the Surveys Results section of this website.

Nimbin Community Care Team and the local Emergency Radio Network

Recruitment of Community Care Team volunteers across the catchment area continues. Free training is provided to CCT members. If you would like to become part of this great community-led intiative, contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or fill in the onlone EOI form below.

What Is The Community Care Team (CCT) Project?

The aim of the CCT project is to ensure that all members of our community are quickly accounted for in a disaster, and that everyone has a way to access help when the region becomes isolated and communication services are lost. We aim to recruit community members to form “Community Care Teams”, across the area. CCT members will be trained in the knowledge and skills necessary to safely carry out welfare checks and identify needs, including first aid, psychological first aid, trauma informed communication, confidentiality protocols, identifying skills and resources within your region, identifying likely disaster impacts in your locality and more. CCT members will work in partnership with the Radio holders (see below) to communicate with local response agencies.

How to Join The Community Care Team

We would love to hear from you! To register your interest please fill out this Expression of Interest form or contact us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

What Is The Nimbin Emergency Radio Network?

The Nimbin Emergency Radio Network has been developed, in consultation with local Police and RFS, to provide an effective way for residents of the Nimbin Valley to contact response personnel when our region becomes geographically isolated and communication services are lost. Community members in strategic locations were invited to become Radio holders in early 2022 and have been provided with equipment and training. The role of the Radio holder is to access 000 emergency services as needed, request necessary items and services (food, water, medical supplies etc.) and to provide information to response agencies as needed. The project divides the Nimbin Valley into 17 localities with at least 1 trained Radio holder in each locality.

I Have My Own CB Radio; Can I Join The Nimbin Emergency Radio Network?

Because critical information will be shared with response agencies (e.g. RFS, Police) only official Radio holders will be able to use the network, to maintain privacy and also confidence in the reliability of information being relayed to response agencies.

For more info, contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 66891692

Radio Network Resources follow this link to find the excellent radio network resources put together by the Channon Hub.

Contact Us

To contact the Nimbin Disaster Resilience Group (NRDG) email us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Nimbin Community Disaster Plan

Background: The Nimbin Disaster Plan was officially launched at the Nimbin Town Hall at 10am on Saturday 24^th April 2021.The Nimbin Community Disaster Plan was developed in 2021 by the Nimbin Disaster Resilience Group, in partnership with Lismore City Council and with assistance from Locale Consulting. The project was made possible with funding provided through the joint Commonewealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and specifically the Bushfire Community Reslience and Economic Recovery Fund Phase 1. This Plan acknowledges the extensive impact of the 2019/2020 bushfire season and that our community needs continued support to navigate the long, personal journey of recovery. Before the bushfires, the Sustainable Nimbin Community Plan 2016-2021 identified the need to prepare this Plan.

The development of the Plan was informed by numerous community consultations and a community survey conducted during Dec 2020 - Jan 2021.

The launch included a sobering but very useful overview from Robert Kooyman, well-known botanist and ecologist, of the values of the World Heritage Gondwana Rainforests of Australia and an update on the forests and rainforests of the Nightcap and Border Ranges region. He also updated us on the continuing post-fire research and discussed the implications of those findings for the future of the local forests, local landholders and residents.You can view or download the slides here.

Nimbin Community Disaster Plan Revision 2022-2023

The Disaster Plan was revised and updated after the flood event of 2022. See the the link to revised Plan, above.

What has been achieved so far?

Community Disaster Supplies – A shipping container has been installed at Nimbin Showground and stocked with emergency equipment (thanks to funding from The Flood Relief Fund (Partnership between Northern Rivers Community Foundation (NRCF) and the Byron Community Centre), and the generosity of the Nimbin A&I Society.

Plan updated the Disaster Plan has been revised and updated and most notably a Community level Resonse and Recovery Plan has been added (previously the Plan focused only on Preparedness).

Install water tanks on community owned sites in the village – one large tank installed on Community Centre grounds (behind the Neighbourhood Centre), two large tanks purchased for the Showgrounds.

Disaster Info Sheet produced and added to the Welcome To Nimbin Kit.

Dedicated community Disaster page added to Nimbin Neighbourhood and Info centre’s website, and regularly updated.

Family Disaster Info Days – Virtual Family Fun Day workshops held on 13^th November 2021 – Evacuation Kit Pillowcase workshop for kids with Red Cross, Build a Native Bees Hotel with Barbara Mills, Beeswax Wraps with North East Waste, family showbags. (Funded by Healthy North Coast).

Sustainanability Alley at the Nimbin Show 2023 the overall theme was resilience and featured info about the Disaster Plan, NERN and CCT and stalls from various response and recovery agencies. At least 350 people came through over the weekend and 174 or them did our Sustainability Alley Quiz to be in the running for great disaster resileince and bug out kits. 78% of people (incuding 42 kids aged 12 or under) who did the Quiz got the answers 100% correct! Good work peoples!

Spontaneous Volunteer Kit drafted.

Central Information Desk was opened at Nimbin Town Hall foyer after the Feb/March 2022 Flood Disaster.

After Action Reviews were conducted after the 2022 Disaster by NNIC, CWA, RFS and others.

So What’s Next?

The revised Disaster Plan has been significantly updated to reflect our community experience of the 2022 Disaster.

The original Disaster Plan was focused on Preparedness. The revised Disaster Plan now includes Response and Recovery.

Welcome to Nimbin Kit

The Welcome to Nimbin was developed for people moving into Nimbin as new residents and aims to link them into Nimbin's activities and culture. A new page has been added to the Kit with general info about disasters. A copy of that new page can be viewed or downloaded here. For more info about, or for hard copies of the Welcome to Nimbin Kit, contact NNIC on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.