Water quality

Federal, State and Regional agencies along with community groups and private landholders have all been striving to address the consequences of the bushfires of 2019-20. This Zoom webinar highlighted the insights, actions and opportunities that are occurring as the ecosystems transition with various levels of support.

The Koorangie Marshes are part of the Kerang Wetlands Ramsar site that is culturally significant to the Barapa Barapa people. Prolonged waterlogging and rising salinity, which resulted in the death of River Red Gum and Eumong canopies, had historically impacted almost half of the Koorangie marshes. In partnership with the Barapa Barapa peoples the regeneration [...]

Urban creeks in the City of Onkaparinga hold some of the last remnants of bushland within the city as well as containing valuable public recreational space. The ‘Creek Heroes’ project informed and activated the community to care for the creeks by crafting clever ‘heroes and bullies’, listening to the residents and providing opportunities to experience [...]

The Popes Glen Bushcare Group utilise strong monitoring regimes and the process of adaptive management to inform the treatment of Willows, Privet, Pine trees and Ranunculus groundcover. By careful observation of the impact of their works they have become adept at reinforcing positive outcomes and considering the recovery trajectory of the site to ensure the [...]

Stormwater flows along the first kilometre of urban streams requires energy and nutrient loads to be managed effectively to ensure the downstream integrity of the riparian systems can be maintained. The Popes Glen Bushcare Group, with the support of the Blue Mountains Council have explored and implemented a variety of highly successful soft-engineering strategies to [...]

Ziggy Marzinelli shares the world of underwater kelp forest recovery. A 70km aquatic restoration project was designed to reinstate Sydney’s Phyllospora comosa - Crayweed forests, a valuable recreational fishing asset as well as a key component of the kelp forest underwater ecosystem. Ziggy’s project successfully reintroduced the missing ecosystem component. In doing so he reinstated [...]

This is an inspiring presentation that showcases a variety of strategies that were used to improve aquatic habitat. Approaches undertaken ranged from mechanical bank shaping to altering mowing practices, resnagging with whole trees to purpose built fish hotels. The detailed monitoring and commitment to community engagement has meant that the upward trajectory for in-stream restoration will continue beyond the funded project.

Just add water...Three wetland restoration case studies are presented by Mark Bachmann which outline the historical basis for the degradation, the process of identifying viable project sites and the setting of goals to deliver significant wetland restoration. Mark references the Six Principles in the National Restoration Standards to highlight their relevance in designing, monitoring and [...]

Dan Cunningham from Sydney Water describes the reconstruction of ‘one of the most polluted waterways in Australia’, Cooks River, west of Sydney airport. An alternative to reconcreting was proposed to a highly engaged community that involved renewal of trapezoid concrete channels to regraded and naturalised vegetated banks. A great example of a paradigm shift in [...]