Bowraville Connections: People, Purpose, Country, Community
Bowraville Connections: People, Purpose, Country, Community
Taking Action
Local Links - Stronger Communities -
LLCI034-084
The issue
The Nambucca River reaches upstream and downstream of Bowraville hosts some of the last remaining accessible lowland subtropical rainforest EEC in the Nambucca Valley, with mature Yellow Carrabean, Rosewood and Lilly Pilly's forming a substantial part of the canopy, along with Rusty Plum and a Grey-Headed Flying Fox camp, both listed as Vulnerable. These pockets of EECs have been fragmented by land clearing, invasive weeds and severe riverbank erosion, reducing the extent, quality and viability of EEC and waterway habitat. The priority is to treat erosion to prevent further loss of land, followed by riparian planting, stock access control and weed control to create a stable corridor between the Remnant EEC Communities. Community action is essential, as the problem requires coordination of several landholders, input from community groups, technical expertise, significant funding and effective monitoring.
The solution
Nambucca Valley Landcare formed a partnership with Nambucca Shire Council, Bowraville Intrepid Landcare, Live Better Stronger Families men’s group and Gagu Land Services, and the group successfully applied for funding from the Australian Governmnet National Landcare Program Small Environmental Grants, with three complementary grant applications under consideration. The project aims to treat erosion to prevent further loss of land through bed control structures, rock toe protection and bank shaping, followed by riparian planting, stock access control and weed control to create a stable corridor between the remnant EEC Communities.
The impact
The project is important as it focuses on one of the only river access points on public land, providing immense recreational and cultural benefits in addition to ecological benefits. Community action was essential, and the problem required coordination of several landholders, input from community groups, technical expertise, and effective baseline monitoring to attract the funding required to address the problem.
Key facts
- Sections of the Nambucca River at Bowraville are severely degraded, and EECs are fragmented from invasive weeds and erosion
- NVL formed a partnership with Nambucca Shire Council, Bowraville Intrepid Landcare, Live Better Stronger Families men’s group and Gagu Land Services have been successful at attracting funding to address the problems identified
- The cooperation and coordination was essential to the success of the project, and was supported through funding from the LLCI