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Aerial operation transported rocks of up to 2 tons through narrow valleys in northern New South Wales, in a project that combined infrastructure recovery, historical preservation, and unusual heavy transport techniques.
A UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was used to transport 24 basalt blocks to Lavertys Gap Weir, a historic structure in Wilsons Creek, near Mullumbimby, in northern New South Wales, Australia.
The operation carried about 40 tons of rocks through the steep valleys of the Northern Rivers region to reinforce a low dam approximately 100 years old, affected by the 2022 floods and the effects of Cyclone Alfred in 2025.
The rocks, some weighing around 2 tons, were trucked to a staging point 400 meters from the dam.
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From there, each block was individually hoisted by cables attached to the aircraft, in a long-line operation that totaled approximately four hours of flight, according to the New South Wales government.
The repair work was estimated at 2.7 million Australian dollars and is part of the Northern Rivers Water and Wastewater Repair and Recovery Program, a water and sewage recovery program conducted by the NSW Reconstruction Authority, in partnership with the Byron Shire Council and executed by NSW Public Works.
The broader initiative, of 145 million Australian dollars, funds repairs to water and sanitation assets damaged by the 2022 floods in the region.
Black Hawk was used to transport rocks to a hard-to-reach area
Lavertys Gap Weir does not correspond to a large reservoir dam.
The structure functions as a low water intake and control dam, associated with the old Mullumbimby hydroelectric system and local supply.
The site appears on the New South Wales heritage register and is described by authorities as part of the city’s old hydroelectric plant complex.
The repair was necessary because the south bank of the creek suffered erosion caused by water movement.
According to the Byron Shire Council, the wear was exacerbated by the 2022 floods and Cyclone Alfred in 2025.
The city council reports that the work has already been completed.
Before the placement of the rocks, the contractors lowered the water level behind the structure to create a dry working area.
Next, the eroded part received reinforced geotextile fabric, clay, and a layer of stones, a procedure used to protect the bank and reduce new erosion processes.
According to Richard Greenhill, project manager at NSW Public Works, the intervention was a “precision operation” to stabilize Lavertys Gap Weir.
He stated that the placement of rocks and engineered clay would form a barrier intended to protect the structure against erosion and future flood events.
Aerial transport reduced trail openings in the valley
The choice of helicopter was linked to access conditions, the weight of the materials, and the need to reduce interventions in the surroundings.
The New South Wales government reported that the operation with the Black Hawk reduced the need to open new trails to the dam area and minimized environmental disturbance in the Wilsons Creek basin.
In the long-line operation, the load is suspended below the aircraft by cables.
This type of transport requires flight control and coordination with the ground team because the block needs to be positioned at the intended point to fulfill the function of reinforcing the bank.
Although the Black Hawk is more associated with military operations, the use of the aircraft at Lavertys Gap Weir had a civil purpose.
In this case, the aircraft functioned as heavy transport equipment in an area where land access would require additional interventions, as reported by the state government.
The New South Wales Recovery Minister, Janelle Saffin, said it is uncommon to resort to a Black Hawk in reconstruction works, but stated that the project required “thinking outside the box.”
In a statement, she also declared that the image of the aircraft positioning large blocks on site indicated what can be done when different levels of government act in a coordinated manner.
Lavertys Gap Weir is part of Mullumbimby’s history
The protection of Lavertys Gap Weir involves infrastructure built in the 1920s.
The Mullumbimby hydroelectric complex includes the old power plant, the low dam, channels, and elements associated with water transport.
The New South Wales heritage register classifies the complex as part of a provincial hydroelectric generation system implemented by the then Mullumbimby municipal council.
According to the same register, the plant was the fourth hydroelectric plant built in New South Wales for large-scale electricity supply and the fifth on the Australian mainland.
The complex is cited as an example of the expansion of regional hydroelectric generation in the state during the 1920s.
The structure is also related to the history of the city’s water supply.
According to the Byron Shire Council, water from Lavertys Gap Weir followed a heritage-listed water race and through a tunnel in the mountain to the Mullumbimby treatment station, built in 1940.
Over time, the old system ceased to perform the same original functions but remained linked to the local water infrastructure.
Therefore, the repair had two objectives informed by the authorities: to contain erosion on the bank and preserve the integrity of an asset recognized as heritage.
Floods pressured water and sanitation infrastructure
The Northern Rivers region has experienced intense rainfall events in recent years.
The 2022 floods damaged public assets and pressured local water and sanitation systems.
Cyclone Alfred in 2025 caused prolonged rainfall in northeastern New South Wales and southeastern Queensland, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
The meteorological agency recorded seven-day accumulations exceeding 800 millimeters in parts of New South Wales, including Mullumbimby, as well as riverine and flash flooding in areas of the state’s northeast and Queensland.
In Mullumbimby, the accumulation listed by the Bureau of Meteorology reached 856 millimeters during the analyzed period.
During the intervention at Lavertys Gap Weir, the city’s supply needed to be maintained by an alternative route.
The Byron Shire Council reported that Mullumbimby’s water was temporarily supplied by the emergency pipeline connected to the regional network, later expanded to serve the entire city.
The council also reported that it decided to permanently connect Mullumbimby to the Rous regional supply system.
This decision appears in the context of recovery works and the need to ensure water supply when local capture is unavailable.
The repair combined materials used in civil works, such as geotextile, clay, and rocks, with heavy cargo air transport.
The helicopter stage addressed a practical limitation: transporting large blocks to a hard-to-reach point without opening new land routes, as explained by New South Wales authorities.
For Byron Shire Mayor Sarah Ndiaye, the project was executed in a complex location and aimed to preserve the heritage fabric of Lavertys Gap Weir, as well as maintain its integrity in the long term.
NSW Public Works reported that the intervention involved the local council, state agencies, traditional owners, and the landowner.
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