WORK will soon begin to help revitalise the state’s most iconic river red gum woodlands, after the NSW Government awarded a contract to build water infrastructure to optimise environmental flows in the Koondrook-Perricoota Forest.
The $3.3 million upgrade involves building 5.9km of levees at Shear Paddock, west of Moama, enabling higher volumes of environmental water to be delivered while minimising impacts to private landholders nearby.
This upgrade is part of the Koondrook-Perricoota Forest Project, which is receiving $42.7 million from the Federal Government.
The improved environmental flows into the forest will enhance habitat and create breeding opportunities for the unique and native species which call the forest’s wetlands home, including diverse plants, fish, reptiles, birds, marsupials, and the endangered Southern Bell frog.
Local company Northern Constructions Group will start work in the coming months to build an earthen levee bank and access track immediately adjacent to the forest.
This will allow higher volumes of water to be delivered from the Murray River, enabling connection of the Barbers and Thule Creeks without inundating adjacent landholdings.
The project will also enhance tourism and recreational opportunities in the 33,750 hectare internationally important wetland and forest and empower the already passionate community with a greater connection to a healthier country.
It builds upon earlier works aimed at facilitating large watering events to boost the health of the woodland. Since river regulation was introduced in the early 1900s, natural flooding has reduced significantly, leading to ecosystem decline.
The Koondrook-Perricoota Forest Project is one of NSW’s five accelerated Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) projects for the Murray-Darling Basin Plan.
These projects will directly contribute to the plan’s 605GL environmental water target and reduce the need for water recovery in NSW.
NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water acting executive director of delivery Greg Winchester said this was a key project that will help meet basin plan commitments while delivering “critical environmental benefits to this rare and magnificent ecosystem”.
“Enhanced watering events not only provide better breeding opportunities for thousands of native waterbirds, as well as better conditions for native fish in the wetlands, they also entice visitors to the area which is a win for local businesses,” he said.
“The NSW Government is working closely with the Koondrook Perricoota Alliance, Wakool Rivers Association, Western Murray Land Improvement Group, First Nations communities and other key stakeholders who are at the heart of the project.”
