A two kilometre stretch of South Creek at Bowraville has been transformed with 3400 native trees now planted and four bed controls constructed, deepening water pools by almost one metre.
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The six-month, partnership project of Nambucca Shire Council, Nambucca Valley Landcare and Live Better Bowraville will result in a healthier river system and revitalised reserve space for the Bowraville community to enjoy.
Nambucca Shire Mayor Rhonda Hoban said this project exemplified what the community could achieve by working together.
"Council has so far spent $367,000 revitalising infrastructure at Bowraville's Hennesy Tape Oval and its bordering creek and the results now speak for themselves," she said.
"The new netball/basketball court, skate park and bike track are well used and now South Creek is set to have much deeper swimming pools by summer.
"This is an ongoing project that will see more money spent on a children's playground in the future, greatly improving the recreational opportunities for Bowraville residents."
The South Creek revitalisation project started in December 2018 with Council staff reach mowing the riverbank to control privet and camphor laurel saplings.
Then, over one month from March to April, four rock bed control structures and rock revetments were constructed to restore the structure of the creek.
In late April, 1500 native trees were planted on the banks of South Creek paid for by Council's Environmental Levy. Last week a further 1380 trees were planted with the help of children from Bowraville Community Pre-school.
A final planting will occur this week on another creek bank, bringing the total number of trees planted to 3400. The trees are a mix of lilly pillys, water gums, waterhousias, cudgeries, sandpaper figs, rusty figs and more.
Nambucca Valley Landcare Coordinator Logan Zingus said his rationale was to focus on improving the creek first.
"The aim of the project was to work on the river bed first, knowing this would then help limit erosion of the banks," Mr Zingus said.
"We received two grants with a combined total of $92,000 from the Australian Government National Landcare Program and the New South Wales Recreational Fishing Trust.
"We spent the majority on constructing the bed controls to prevent further bed lowering and reinstate the creek's natural pool-riffle sequence. This has oxygenated the water, slowed its flow and has deepened its pools.
"The removal of stock access has also helped ... we partnered with Council and the adjoining property owner to construct an electric fence and cattle troughs, removing the need for cattle to water at the creek and thereby giving the new trees and native vegetation the chance to grow."