The 2022 floods caused significant damage to sporting facilities across Murwillumbah and the broader Tweed region. Clubhouses were inundated, electrical systems destroyed, changerooms stripped and playing surfaces affected. For the clubs and community members who rely on these spaces for sport, fitness and connection, the impact extended well beyond the physical damage.
Over the 3 years that followed, Tweed Shire Council, supported by the Australian and NSW Governments, restored and upgraded a number of flood-affected sporting facilities across the Tweed. Each was rebuilt to a higher standard where funding allowed, with flood-resilient materials, raised electrical systems and improved accessibility built in.
Sport isn’t a luxury, it’s a barometer. It’s where routines return, where kids find their feet again, where adults remember who they are outside the flood recovery. When ovals and fields reopen, training nights resume, junior competitions restart and weekend games bring families back to the sidelines. For the Tweed’s sporting clubs, the completion of works at John Rabjones/Les Cave Ovals and Barrie Smith Fields marks more than the end of a construction program. It marks the return of something the community never stopped needing.
“Our sporting facilities program has reached clubs across the Tweed, and every upgrade follows the same principles: building back better, raising electrical systems above flood level, improving accessibility and creating more resilient spaces for players and communities. That consistency across so many sites is what makes the program significant. When Cyclone Alfred came through in 2025 and these facilities bounced back within days, that told us we got it right.”
Murray Smith — Manager Parks and Active Communities, Tweed Shire Council
