Repairs scheduled along section of Smithtown levee

Published on 07 August 2023

Construction of a rock revetment will soon begin along a section of the Smithtown levee.

A rock revetment is a sloping structure made of rocks along the shoreline or riverbank to protect it from erosion caused by waves or floods. This aims to significantly improve the levee's capacity to withstand potential flooding and better protect the riverbank in the future.

Kempsey Shire Council has worked with GHD to form a detailed designs to support the riverbank between John Street and Russell Street in Smithtown. This comes after NSW Public Works identified this area has been significantly affected by flooding, which has caused damage and slumping of the riverbank edge and levee along the river.

The repairs will start with the section near John Street on Monday 21 August. The works will involve building a rock revetment along the riverbank in Smithtown to prevent erosion and reduce flood damage to properties. This will take about two to three weeks, depending on the weather. After that, we'll work on the Russell Street section.

The whole project costs $1.3 million and is funded by the NSW Public Works Authority.

Council has reached out to property owners involved in the project, providing them with relevant information and addressing any concerns they might have. Additionally, letters will be sent to inform those who are uncontactable about the upcoming works.

Additional information is available at Smithtown Levee Rock Remediation