Geoff Helisma

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has answered a call from Clarence Valley Council (CVC), to install a new automatic flood gauge station on the Orara River at Coutts Crossing.

“I am pleased to advise that the Bureau of Meteorology will replace the manual river gauge at Coutts Crossing (station number 558030) with an automatic gauge, as part of a program of works to upgrade critical components of the bureau’s flood warning network,” chief information and technology officer and group executive data and digital officer, Nichole Brinsmead, wrote in a letter to CVC’s general manager, Ashley Lindsay.

“An important objective of this upgrade is to eliminate the current safety risk posed to volunteers reading the gauge at times of flood.

“The program is expected to be completed by mid-2022.”