Riverbank resilience

Bank and riparian areas along the foreshore of estuaries are vulnerable to impacts from flood events, particularly in areas where modification to the banks, or bankside vegetation has occurred.  High flow and flooding events result in erosion and adverse impacts to the estuary including loss and degradation of riparian and aquatic habitats, poor water quality, and impacts to land use and public enjoyment.

This action aims to improve or protect estuarine and riparian environmental assets from flood and erosion impacts by implementing best practice, environmentally sensitive designs at actively eroding sites and at vulnerable sites to proactively protect riverbanks and the estuary foreshore during future events.

We will assist Councils, Agencies and Landholders to assess the severity of flood impacts on estuarine assets (both built and natural), identifying and prioritising areas to focus investment in remediation works to maximise environmental outcomes.

On-ground works will provide increased resilience for estuarine assets in future flood events.

Project delivery

As part of this package of works, DPIRD - Fisheries is undertaking comprehensive Bank and Riparian Assessments across 10 estuaries in NSW:

• Brunswick River
• Richmond River
• Clarence River
• Macleay River
• Wooli Wooli River
• Bellinger River
• Manning River
• Georges River
• Tuross River and
• Bega River.

The comprehensive assessments involve collecting field data along each estuary to the tidal limit and data analysis to identify and target priority areas for works designed to enhance riverbank protection and increase its resilience to future floods.

Completed reports can be accessed via the hyperlinks above.