Habitat restoration programs
Saltwater fish habitat rehabilitation program
| Funding Year |
Saltwater Trust Allocation |
Community matched funding |
|---|---|---|
2002-03 |
$60,000 |
$221,755 |
2003-04 |
$60,000 |
$200,339 |
2005/06 |
$160,000 |
$288,130 |
2006/07 |
$166,769 |
$716,545 |
Aim
To encourage the community to undertake “on-ground” rehabilitation of fish habitats that will assist in long-term improvements to fish numbers and recreational fishing opportunities.
Background
The Saltwater Trust provided $120,000 over 2 years (2002 to 2004) to improve fish habitats in the Clarence catchment as part of a pilot program. The funding resulted in some very innovative projects that have improved the local aquatic environment and will ultimately benefit recreational fishing. Projects that have been approved by the Saltwater Trust include removing barriers to native fish movement, resnagging, removing exotic vegetation along our waterways, re-establishing native riparian vegetation and rehabilitation of estuarine wetlands. Estuarine fish such as bream, flathead, prawns and mullet will directly benefit from the work being done to rehabilitate the areas where fish feed, breed and live.
Following the success of the pilot program, it expanded to include all coastal catchments in 2005. Successful applicants have provided matching funds, either by in-kind donations or cash, to support the proposed projects. The $320,000 invested by the Trust between 2002 and 2006 has been matched by over $700,000 – this is fantastic value for money for the angling community!
Projects can be undertaken by individuals, angling clubs, community groups, local councils, Rivercare and Landcare groups. The first three rounds of funding have closed and the projects for each round are listed in the tables below. For future rounds.
For more information on these projects or the Saltwater Fish Habitat Grant Program please contact Sharon Molloy, Senior Conservation Manager on 02 4916 3926 or Charlotte Grove, Conservation Management Officer 02 6626 1107.
Clarence Catchment Pilot program
A new brochure detailing the projects funded during the two years of the Clarence Pilot Fish Habitat Grant Program is now available to download. The brochure provides summaries of the 13 projects, contact information for the NSW DPI Aquatic Habitat Rehabilitation Team, and aims to facilitate future on-ground projects to fix up fish habitat.
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Fixing fish habitat in the Clarence Estuary |  4.9 mb |
Round 1:
| Project |
Applicant |
Funding |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Little Broadwater - wetland rehabilitation, fish passage remediation – flood gate modification, Maclean NSW |
Wetland Care Australia |
$9,860 |
Completed |
Micalo Island fish passage remediation, Mangrove/Saltmarsh rehabilitation (Stage 1), Yamba NSW |
Rob Schafer and Allan Bryne (land owners) |
$10,000 |
Completed |
Oyster Channel - restoration of flows, habitat rehabilitation and fish passage remediation, Yamba NSW |
L & R Vance (land owner) |
$9,980 |
Completed |
Shark Creek (Harwood bridge) riparian rehabilitation (Stage 1), Maclean NSW |
Clarence Valley Council and Clarence Landcare Group Inc and and Shark Creek Landcare |
$10,000 |
Completed |
Eatonsville Reserve – Riparian fencing, revegetation and weed management of Clarence River, Maclean NSW |
Clarence Valley Council |
$5,160 |
In progress |
Round 2:
| Project |
Applicant |
Funding |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Shark Creek (Harwood bridge) riparian rehabilitation, Stage 2, Maclean NSW |
Clarence Valley Council and Clarence Landcare Group Inc and Shark Creek Landcare |
$10,000 |
Onground works completed, educational material in progress |
Ulgundahi Island riparian habitat rehabilitation, Maclean NSW |
Yaegl Local Aboriginal Land Council |
$10,000 |
Complete |
Cowan’s Creek riparian habitat rehabilitation – fencing, weed removal and revegetation, Grafton NSW |
Wetland Care Australia |
$10,000 |
Complete |
Tulk Reserve saltmarsh habitat rehabilitation – fencing, weed management, Iluka NSW |
Bio Management Ltd Theo |
$6,573 |
Complete |
West Micalo Island fish passage remediation, Yamba NSW |
Geoff & Maree West (land owner) |
$8,825 |
Onground works completed. Final report in progress |
East Micalo Island fish passage remediation, Yamba NSW |
Fred Welsh (land owner) |
$10,000 |
Complete |
Micalo Island fish passage remediation and fencing (Stage 2), Yamba NSW |
Rob Schafer & Allan Byrne |
$9,602 |
Onground works complete, monitoring ongoing. |
Oyster Channel - fish passage remediation and mangrove regeneration (Stage 2), Yamba NSW |
L & R Vance and E spears (land owners) |
$10,000 |
Complete |
Statewide program Saltwater Fish Habitat Grant Program
Round 1
| Project |
Applicant |
Funding |
Status |
|---|---|---|---|
Little Salt Pan Creek estuarine habitat remediation - weed removal, replanting, Bankstown NSW |
Bankstown City Council |
$20,000 |
In progress |
Oxbow Lakes riparian rehabilitation and fish passage remediation, Mullumbimby NSW |
Byron Shire Council |
$30,000 |
In progress |
Mullumbimby Creek - riparian rehabilitation, weed removal and replanting, Mullumbimby NSW |
Brunswick Valley Landcare Inc |
$8522 |
In progress |
Oyster Channel - riparian rehabilitation, fencing, wetland rehabilitation, Yamba, NSW |
Fred Welsh (landowner) |
$7306 |
In progress |
Little Broadwater - wetland rehabilitation, fish habitat restoration, Maclean NSW |
Ducks Unlimited Pty Ltd |
$30,000 |
In progress |
George Kendell Park - saltmarsh rehabilitation, propagation and planting, Paramatta, NSW |
Ocean Watch Australia Ltd |
$30,000 |
In progress |
Tweed River floodplain - fish passage remediation, Tweed LGA, NSW |
Tweed Shire Council |
$30,000 |
In progress |
Pambula Lake - Riparian restoration, fencing, weed removal, Pambula NSW |
Bega Valley Shire Council |
$5000 |
In progress |
Statewide Round 2 Saltwater
Applicant |
Title |
Location |
Proposal Summary |
Funds Awarded ($) |
Applicant Contribution ($ + in-kind) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nambucca Council |
Restoration of tidal flow and fish passage Stuart Island Causeway |
Northern branch of Nambucca River, causeway to Stuart Island, Nambucca Heads |
Improve fish passage at the causeway, which is restricting tidal flows, causing stagnant backwater, restricting fish passage (1 km), causing sedimentation and also impacting upon the local aboriginal communitys ancestral connection to the area as a sacred site. |
$25,650.00 |
$45,310.00 |
Lloyd Gill (Private landholder) |
River bank fencing Landsdowne River |
Southern river bank of the Lansdowne River, Manning River Catchment |
Restrict cattle access to the river bank frontage of whole property (2 km), undertake native riparian tree planting (2 km), mangrove protection and rehabilitation, erosion protection works (500 m). |
$900.00 |
$900.00 |
Great Lakes Council |
Natural Wetland Restoration Darawakh Creek/ Frogalla Swamp Wetland |
Darawakh Creek/ Frogalla Swamp Wetland located behind Nine Mile Beach, 6 km north of Forster/Tuncurry |
Decommission and infill 3 constructed drains (2.5 km) in a high risk acid sulfate soil coastal wetland area. Rehabilitation of 248 ha wetlands. |
$29,443.00 |
$442,425.00 |
Gosford City Council |
Patonga Creek rehabilitation project |
Patonga Creek, Hawkesbury River Catchment, Patonga |
Regeneration of 15 ha of saltmarsh damaged by trail bikes. Fencing, revegetation, weed management, foreshore remediation and bank stabilisation. |
$29,995.00 |
$86,100.00 |
Dalas and Elaine Polson (Private landholders) |
Midgy Gharret Island restoration project |
Midgy Gharret Island in the Manning River delta, lower north coast region of Hunter Central Rivers CMA |
Increase mangrove habitat around island 1.5 km and riparian vegetatin through contstruction of rock fillets to stabilise banks and protect mangrove seedlings. Fencing to restrict cattle access, planting 3000 native trees. |
$20,285.00 |
$70,355.00 |
Byron Shire Council |
Valances Road Project (Stage 2) |
Valances Road, 2 kms NE Mullumbimby, Brunswick River Catchment |
Stage 2 of project (Stage 1 funded by RFSTEC) extend riparian fencing area 1.8 km (10 ha area), riparian revegetation and weed management (15 ha) |
$22,000.00 |
$30,000.00 |
Commercial Fishermen Hexham Swamp Rehabilitation Committee |
Smiths Creek Restoration of Tidal flows |
Maitland Road, Hexham, Hunter Estuary |
Remove a fish passage and tidal flow barrier in Smiths Creek. Replace crossing with box culverts. Provide 4.5km fish passage, rehabilitate 235 ha of former estuarine wetland. Improve fish stocks and recruitment to the river |
$8,522.50 |
$10,564.14 |
Eurobodella Shire Council |
Nelligen Creek, River Road Fish Passage |
Nelligen Creek, Clyde River Catchment, 2 km north of Nelligen township |
Remove pipe culvert crossing high flow velocity barrier to fish passage, replace with a large box culvert crossing. Seal approach roads to reduce sedimentation |
$30,000.00 |
$30,800.00 |
|
|
|
Total: |
$166,795.50 |
$716,454.14 |
Freshwater fish habitat rehabilitation program
| Project Title | Funding Body |
|---|---|
|
Resnagging and Riparian Restoration - Hume Dam to Yarrawonga |
Living Murray Implementation Program |
|
Fish Passage and Road Crossings – Northern Rivers, Upper North and Mid North Coast |
Catchment Management Authority |
|
Estuary Habitat Mapping – Northern Rivers |
Catchment Management Authority |
|
Floodplain Fish Habitat Repair – Upper North Coast |
Catchment Management Authority |
|
River Health – Upper North Coast |
Catchment Management Authority |
|
Stream health and fish friendly road crossings – Mid North Coast |
Catchment Management Authority |
|
Aquatic Health – Lower Murray-Darling |
Catchment Management Authority |
|
Reviewing and Restoring Fish Passage in Urbanised Waterways - Sydney |
Catchment Management Authority |
|
Identification, Assessment and Prioritisation of Degradation and Threatening Processes to Aquatic and Riparian Areas -Lachlan catchment |
Catchment Management Authority |
|
Habitat rehabilitation for the endangered eastern freshwater cod in the Richmond River catchment, and trout cod in the Murray catchment |
Environmental Trust |
|
Reducing the impact of road crossings on environmental flows, water quality and fish passage – State-wide
|
Environmental Trust |
|
Impact of weirs on environmental flows, water quality and fish passage
|
Environmental Trust |
|
Case study in environmental restoration via redundant weir removal (in conjunction with WWF) |
Environmental Trust |
|
Floodgate management - North Coast |
Environmental Trust |
|
Environmental Improvements for the Rocky Mouth Creek, Richmond River – Northern Rivers |
Environmental Trust |
|
Construction of a high- and low-flow fishway at Brewarrina Weir – North-West |
Environmental Trust |
|
Riparian rehabilitation, Barwon River, Brewarrina – North-West |
Environmental Trust |
Two Inland Conservation Managers
Freshwater Trust Allocation
2006-07: $297,000
Background
Conservation managers are involved in reviewing development and works proposals that might impact on aquatic habitats and ensuring aquatic habitat protection requirements are included in natural resource management processes, such as land and water use, and estuary and floodplain planning. This provides for good water quality, healthy habitats and fisheries.