Fish benefit from new Gradys Creek road crossing

Fish friendly road crossing sign.

A new road crossing over Gradys Creek near Kyogle - replacing an old causeway - has improved fish access to 25 kilometres of upstream habitat.

Kyogle Shire Council, in partnership with the Northern Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA), NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and the Natural Heritage Trust, recently replaced the causeway with a three-celled box culvert.

‘The old causeway blocked fish from migrating upstream to potential breeding and feeding habitat due to the shallow flow it caused,’ said NSW Department of Primary Industry fisheries manager Craig Copeland.

‘The new box culvert with a low flow channel makes it possible for native fish to swim upstream under the road,’ he said.

‘Native fish rely on a variety of habitat types to complete their life cycle and need free movement along rivers and streams to migrate to these habitats,’ he said.

More than two-thirds of coastal fish species – including Australian bass, sea mullet, short-finned and long-finned eels, freshwater mullet and freshwater herring – migrate as part of the lifecycle.

NSW DPI identified the causeway at Gradys Creek Road as a barrier to fish passage during a recent audit of over 2600 road crossings within the Northern Rivers region.

With funding from the Environmental Trust, the Northern Rivers CMA, the Natural heritage Trust and the Recreational Fishing Trust, many of these road crossing barriers are being targeted and modified by local councils to improve fish passage.

‘Causeways and piped culverts that have blocked fish passage for years are making way for bridges and boxed culverts that are friendly to migrating fish,’ said Mr Copeland.

In addition to improving fish passage, the new crossing is safer and more reliable for motorists in flood times.

‘I nearly lost my life on the old crossing, when I was trying to take my husband hospital and it was flooded,’ said local resident and alternative health centre owner Mrs English.

‘I have also had to cancel bookings in the past due to flooding.

‘This new crossing means a great deal to me and my business.’

Mr Copeland said sites like the new Gradys Creek crossing are identified with large, colourful ‘fish friendly road crossing’ signs.

‘These sites demonstrate to other Councils a variety of fish friendly design options they can use when they are upgrading road crossings,’ he said.

‘When you’re passing a colourful ’fish friendly road crossing’ sign, spare a thought for the fish now swimming freely beneath the road to upstream habitat.’

Media contact: Phil Bevan, NSW DPI, Wollongbar on 02 6626 1350 or 0429 458 053.