There’ll be some much-needed TLC for the region’s waterways and adjacent land as part of the NSW Government’s $2.4 million Riparian Restoration program.
Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders has today announced $39,785 for OzFish Unlimited to restore three Wambuul Macquarie River reserves around Wellington and Geurie, in partnership with Mid-Macquarie Landcare.
“Our rivers are the lifeblood of our regional communities and the Wambuul Macquarie is no exception,” Mr Saunders said.
“Restoring riparian areas can lead to improved water quality and stabilise banks to reduce further erosion, provide a better habitat for wildlife, and make our riparian areas more resilient to extreme weather events into the future.
“After a challenging few years of drought, bushfires and drought, I commend these grassroots community organisations for their dedication to protecting these areas that are so critical to our region!”
OzFish Central Murray Darling Basin project manager Bron Powell said OzFish Unlimited will also provide chemical and first aid training to some Indigenous rangers, “hopefully getting more Indigenous people involved in bush and river regeneration”.
“There’s more erosion after the drought, with the loss of trees, and floods coming along after that have only made the erosion worse,” Bron said.
“We need more native trees and shrubs along the river to restore those riverbanks and make the river healthier for native fish so we can see their populations bounce back again!”
Meanwhile, Narromine Shire Council has secured $6,300 for Narromine Shire to remove invasive weeds, including green cestrum and castor oil plants, that have overgrown the Gin Gin Weir reserve. Council will then partner with local Landcare and other volunteers to re-plant groundcover native shrubs and plants to improve plant diversity at the site.
The Riparian Restoration program is being run by Local Land Services with the projects being delivered by Landcare and other natural resource management groups. Works are expected to be complete by September 2023. For more information, visit www.lls.nsw.gov.au/