Funding boost for recreational fishers and local waterways

OzFish Unlimited, Australia’s only recreational fishing charity, has been selected to receive a series of Riparian Restoration Grants from NSW Local Land Services to deliver major habitat restoration projects. 

A riparian zone is the area of vegetation bordering a waterway and plays a key role in providing healthy habitat for fish and wildlife. The roots of these native trees are important to holding soil together, mitigating the risk and effects of flood and drought on riverbanks. 

OzFish volunteers from the charity’s local chapters in Dubbo, Euston/Robinvale, Tenterfield and Wagga Wagga will work with New South Wales Landcare and private landholders on a range of activities. This will include installing more than 50 in-stream habitats, planting more than 3000 native trees, erecting 3km of riparian fencing to protect vegetation from livestock and controlling invasive weeds. 

Specific elements of the project include the deployment of 15 complex habitats, made of logs, root balls, and limestone rocks, into Tarcutta Creek at Wagga Wagga. At Tenterfield, volunteers will plant 1500 native trees and install 2km of riparian fencing. 

All of these activities are designed to help restore healthy habitat, create better fishing, and ensure thriving ecosystems in Australia’s waterways today and for future generations. 

OzFish will also deliver community ‘fish focus’ forums in the region. These will provide local community members with the inspiration, knowledge and support to get directly involved in habitat restoration. 

Braeden Lampard, OzFish’s Senior Program Manager for the Murray-Darling Basin, believes the project has the potential to deliver benefits not only for native fish but the wider local community. 

“OzFish volunteers are working to improve the quality and quantity of habitat available to native fish,” said Mr Lampard. 

“This project will improve habitat and conditions for a majority of our Murray-Darling Basin recreational targeted large bodied native fish species, such as Murray Cod and Golden Perch. It will also take place in waterways where threatened species are listed and found, including freshwater Catfish, Trout Cod, Silver Perch and the purple-spotted Gudgeon. 

"We’ll also be creating opportunities for community groups and organisations to engage with the recreational angling community and bring like-minded individuals together. Ensuring local waterways are healthy, safe, and thriving environments is beneficial to everybody in the community.”  

This project has been funded by the NSW Landcare Program which is a collaboration of Local Land Services and Landcare NSW Inc with funding support from the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust, the Australian Government through the CRC Program, and BCF – Boating, Camping, Fishing.