The local hall holds a particular place in hinterland life. It is where people gather for everyday occasions and, once conditions are safe following a disaster, where they come back together to find each other, share what they know and work out what comes next. After the 2022 floods, residents across the Tweed did exactly that. They went to their local hall. They checked on neighbours, coordinated volunteers, handed out supplies and found somewhere to be together.
The 2022 floods damaged halls and centres across the region. Some took water. Some were cut off for days. After the floods receded, restoring them was about more than repairing buildings. It was about restoring the infrastructure of belonging.
Tweed Shire Council, supported by the Australian and NSW Governments through the $15.5 million Community Assets Program, has upgraded halls and hubs across the Tweed since the 2022 floods, making them more resilient, more accessible and better equipped for both everyday use and future events. Each project reflects the two principles that have guided this recovery: betterment and access and inclusion, where funding allowed.
"The Community Assets Program gave us an opportunity to do something more than repair. Every project in this program was assessed against two questions: does it better support our community by being more resilient than before, and is it more accessible for everyone? Across halls, centres and hubs right across the Tweed, the answer is yes."
Shannon Carruth, Manager Inclusive and Creative Communities, Tweed Shire Council
Aerial view of the Tweed and Rous rivers during the March 2017 flood, showing the extent of inundation at Tumbulgum.
Tumbulgum Hall: resilience and community heart
Tumbulgum Hall, sitting at the corner of Riverside Drive and Government Road in the village of Tumbulgum, has been a gathering place for this community for generations. The 2022 floods caused significant damage to the building, prompting a comprehensive upgrade completed in February 2025 and jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments. The roof, gutters, fascia, windows and external cladding were all replaced, the main switchboard relocated above flood level and new LED lighting installed throughout. But the works that took the longest, and mattered most to the community, were the ones nobody expected to find.
"When contractors removed the damaged front panels, they found the original timber cladding behind them, boards that had been there since 1913, with a painted sign still visible underneath. We engaged a heritage architect and every board was numbered, carefully removed and reinstated in its original position. That level of care takes more time and more resources, but it is what the heritage listing requires and what this community deserved."
Joanne Watters, Coordinator Community Services, Tweed Shire Council
Photo Caption: The hall celebrated the re-opening on 30 May 2026, repainted in heritage colours and ready to bring people together in a space that is stronger, more accessible and welcoming for all.
Tumbulgum Hall in March 2022 (left) and today, following upgrades jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments.
What the hall means to Tumbulgum
Tumbulgum Hall has served this village since 1913. For the people who use it, the significance of its restoration goes well beyond the physical works.
"A community hall is the heart of a rural village. It offers a place to gather, build community and provide a response in the case of a disaster. The Tumbulgum Hall has hosted more events, more meetings and more get togethers than any of us can count. Our hall's historic timber structure is loved by the community and seeing it restored and made more resilient for future generations means everything. Meeting places in rural communities are absolutely essential."
Jennifer Kidd, President, Tumbulgum Hall Committee
Photo Caption: From left: Shannon Carruth, Manager Inclusive and Creative Communities, Tweed Shire Council; David Kidd, Coordinator, Tumbulgum Recovery Centre; and Jennifer Kidd, President, Tumbulgum Hall Committee.
Tumbulgum Hall: original 1913 timber boards, found behind damaged panels, were numbered, removed and reinstated in their original positions.
What communities told us: the role of consultation
The decisions about which halls to upgrade and what communities needed from them were shaped directly by consultation. What residents experienced during the 2022 floods, and what they told Council as a result, is central to how this program was designed and delivered.
The halls most impacted by the 2022 floods have been upgraded in consultation with local communities, ensuring the improvements reflect their needs and experiences. When flooding cut off the Kunghur area, landslips along Kyogle Road made the nearest community hub at Uki inaccessible for several days. With telecommunications also down, residents had limited access to information, no central place to gather and reduced ability to coordinate support for one another. In the consultation that followed, community members described the challenges of not knowing road conditions, where to find supplies or who may have needed assistance.
That feedback helped shape Council's approach to strengthening community infrastructure. In 2025, Council secured $66,206 through the Community Building Partnership Program, with Council matching this funding, to undertake upgrades to the historic Kunghur Hall, which is over 100 years old. While the hall was not directly damaged during the flood event, the community's experience highlighted the importance of having access to a central, functional space for combat agenvcied during emergencies. The hall is now available for community use, and is suitably equipped and available to be activated to support the community during an emergency if required.
As a direct response to the 2022 floods, Council has also supported the establishment of Community Resilience Teams across the region. Coordinated locally and trained by the Red Cross, these teams are equipped with communication tools and can be activated during disaster events, providing an important link between isolated communities and emergency services.
Murwillumbah Community Centre: a different kind of recovery
The Murwillumbah Community Centre took about one metre of floodwater in 2022 and was closed for more than a year while over 50 community services were temporarily relocated. The scale of disruption, to aged care, youth programs, disability support and more, underlined just how much a single facility can anchor the services a community depends on.
The centre has since been rebuilt with stronger, more flood-resilient materials throughout thanks to the NSW Government's Stronger Country Communities Fund. Epoxy floors and waterproof wall linings mean the building can be fully washed out after a flood. Stainless steel joinery, aluminium-framed glass doors and raised electrical systems, power points, data and phone lines and air-conditioning units all positioned above flood levels, mean the centre can return to use faster after the next event. A solar battery backup system ensures power continuity when the grid goes down, and a fully upgraded commercial kitchen supports the services operating from the centre.
Kunghur Hall before (left) and after upgrades, a place to gather for over 100 years.
A network of halls: restored across the Tweed
Tumbulgum Hall, Crabbes Creek Hall and Tweed Heads South Community Centre were upgraded together as part of a single Community Assets Program project jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments, with a budget of $1,024,980 and a final cost of $1,091,236.73 reflecting the additional heritage works required at Tumbulgum. These, as well as other completed upgrades across the Tweed, include:
● Crabbes Creek Hall: full external cladding replaced, new accessible toilets and access ramp, accessible parking bay and pathways, bike racks for Northern Rivers Rail Trail users, new 9.9kW solar system with battery backup, heritage-approved painting.
● Tweed Heads South Community Centre: solar battery backup, full kitchen upgrade with commercial-grade appliances, electrical and plumbing works, plastering and internal painting, louvres replaced.
● Old Doon Doon Hall: ceiling lining and lighting replaced.
● Kunghur Hall: Community Building Partnership Program, matched by Council, upgrades will be completed August 2026.
● Kingscliff Community Hall: works currently underway.
Access and inclusion
Access and inclusion were built into every upgrade as core commitments, reflecting Council's Tweed Access and Inclusion Plan 2023–2026 and Ageing Well in the Tweed Strategy 2024-2029. At Crabbes Creek Hall, two new accessible toilets and two ambulant toilets were constructed with a compliant access ramp, a new accessible parking bay and concrete pathways, making the hall fully accessible for the first time.
KEY FACTS
Tumbulgum Hall: Reopened February 2026, Community Assets Program, jointly funded Australian and NSW Governments, corner Riverside Drive and Government Road, Tumbulgum.
Combined CAP project: Tumbulgum Hall, Crabbes Creek Hall and Tweed Heads South Community Centre. Budget $1,024,980, final cost $1,091,236.73
Kunghur Hall: $66,206 Community Building Partnership Program, matched by Council, upgrades completed 2025. Hall over 100 years old. Not flood-damaged but upgraded in response to community need identified in consultation.
Murwillumbah Community Centre: NSW Government Stronger Country Communities Fund, home to a diverse mix of social support services and facilities for the Tweed shire community, closed more than one year after 2022 floods.
Community Response Teams: Coordinated locally, trained by Red Cross, equipped with communication tools, activated during disaster events.
Community Assets Program: $15.5 million jointly funded Australian and NSW Governments across parks, community buildings and recreation facilities.
Note: Flood Restoration Program and Community Assets Program are separate funding programs. Figures reported separately.
ABOUT THE FACING THE RIVER SERIES
This release is part of Tweed Shire Council's seven-week flood resilience media series, Facing the River, running 19 June to 28 July 2026. Each chapter tells a different dimension of the Tweed's recovery story, across civic space, sport and wellbeing, community hubs, infrastructure, neighbourhood liveability, the natural environment and the relocation of flood-affected businesses to higher ground. Full series information at tweed.nsw.gov.au
Week 1 — Civic Heart: 19 June, 10 am
Week 2 — Sport and Wellbeing: 25 June, 10 am
Week 3 — Community Hubs: 2 July, 9:30 am
Week 4 — Infrastructure and Connectivity: 9 July, 10:30 am
Week 5 — Neighbourhood Liveability: 17 July, 10 am
Week 6 — Working with Nature: 23 July, 10 am
Week 7 — Trading Turbulent Waters for Solid Ground: 28 July, 10 am
Upgraded halls and centres across the Tweed — from Piggabeen to Kunghur.
Downloads
Photo 1: Crabbes Creek Hall before (left) and after
Caption: Crabbes Creek Hall before (left) and after: new external cladding, accessible toilets, ramp and parking, bike racks for rail trail users, and a 9.9kW solar and battery system — fully accessible for the first time.
Photo 2: Tumbulgum Hall in March 2022 (left) and today,
Caption: Tumbulgum Hall in March 2022 (left) and today, following upgrades jointly funded by the Australian and NSW governments.
Caption: From left: Shannon Carruth, Manager Inclusive and Creative Communities, Tweed Shire Council; David Kidd, Coordinator, Tumbulgum Recovery Centre; and Jennifer Kidd, President, Tumbulgum Hall Committee.
Caption: Tumbulgum Hall: original 1913 timber boards, found behind damaged panels, were numbered, removed and reinstated in their original positions.
Photo 5: Kunghur Hall before (left) and after upgrades
Caption: Kunghur Hall before (left) and after upgrades, a place to gather for over 100 years.
Photo 6: Upgraded halls and centres across the Tweed
Caption: Upgraded halls and centres across the Tweed — from Tweed Heads South to Kunghur.
Connection to Council's Community Strategic Plan:
