Not-for-profit organisation Ozfish and two private local landholders have been successful in securing grants totalling nearly $50,000 from the NSW Nationals in the state government for fish habitat improvement projects in the Clarence and Richmond Valleys.
Clarence Nationals MP Chris Gulaptis said the March floods wreaked havoc on our riverbanks so it is great to see locals stepping up for restoration projects with a helping hand from the Nationals in the NSW Government.
A Richmond Valley couple have been awarded $23,090 to repair the riparian area on their property bordering on Bungawalbin Creek, while another private landholder has secured $9,931 to replace weeds with native vegetation and erect livestock fencing on a section of the Clarence River adjoining his land.
BCF-sponsored fish habitat restoration organisation Ozfish will spend $15,000 on a revegetation project for about 500 metres of riparian bank on the Coldstream River.
Nationals Minister for Agriculture Dugald Saunders says the Habitat Action Grants fund practical, on-ground rehabilitation works for fish habitats, including managing stock access to waterways, revegetating native plants, reintroducing large woody habitat and bank stabilisation works.
“Every year we receive truly unique and positive applications and the best thing about these grants is that they are ideas conceived and led by locals, both on the coast and inland,” Mr Saunders said.
Habitat Action Grants are funded by revenue from the Recreational Fishing Fee. The next $850,000 round of the program is open until September 23.
For more information visit www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/hag.
