Yanco Creek and Tributaries Advisory Council - YACTAC's footprint is in the Riverina, between Narrandera and Moulamein, including the towns of Morundah, Jerilderie, Conargo and Wanganella.

Yanco Creek and Tributaries Advisory Council Inc (YACTAC) is the peak body for water resource advocacy and natural resource management in Yanco Creek System.

The YACTAC footprint is located between Narrandera and Moulamein, with over 600kms of creek frontage, including ephemeral creeks, covering a distance of 250km from east to west. The Yanco, Billabong, Colombo and Forest Creek, (known as the Yanco Creek System - YCS), network is an anabranch complex that broadly connects the Murrumbidgee River with the Edward River. Water is diverted from the Murrumbidgee River into the Yanco Creek at the Yanco Weir. Unregulated flows from the Billabong Creek enter the regulated system east of Jerilderie, in addition to regulated inlets via Coleambally Irrigation Co Ltd and Murray Irrigation Ltd drainage systems.

There are nine volunteer representatives on the management team of YACTAC. Over 150 landholders voluntarily contribute to the Yanco Creek System Natural Resource Management Plan (YCS Levy) which is charged through WaterNSW and administered by YACTAC. The levy commenced in 2006 and is used to maintain and improve the health of the creek system. 

The YCS supports the economy of the region by providing water for towns, irrigation and stock/domestic. The towns of Jerilderie, Conargo, Urana, Morundah and Wanganella rely upon the water in the system. The indigenous cultural groups are Bpangerang, Wamba Wamba, Barapa Barapa and Wiradjuri. For the indigenous custodians of the region, the natural landscape feature highly productive watercourses, numerous wetlands and floodplains.

The YCS is recognised for its environmental values, particularly as it supports one of only two known self-sustaining populations of the nationally endangered Trout Cod. The creek provides habitat conditions that were once widespread in the lowland Murray-Darling Basin but are now extremely rare: perennially fast flowing water, good water quality, good riparian vegetation, low macrophyte density and dense in-channel snag habitat. The series of wetlands along the system provide habitat for international migratory bird species, native fish and other aquatic species. It provides a largely undisturbed riparian corridor between the Murray and Murrumbidgee.

Projects

Rolling out all resources (ROAR) is the second project launched through Refreshing Central Billabong. The aim of ROAR is to restore one publicly visible Refreshing Rivers case study site, encourage community participation in waterway restoration and promote the 10-year Refreshing Central Billabong project.

YACTAC are excited to announce CHICKS IN THE STICKS events are landing in Jerilderie on Sunday 17th March 2024 and in Moulamein on Thursday 4th July 2024. The project is supported by Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR).

The ‘Wetlands for Wildlife’ project aims to improve habitat in local wetlands for the Southern bell frog, a NSW listed threatened species. The project was funded by Murray Local Land Services and managed by YACTAC in partnership with the Leeds family at “Broome”, on a wetland off the Yanco Creek.

Charles Sturt University (CSU) in conjunction with YACTAC and Commonwealth Environmental Water Office (CEWO) are conducting environmental monitoring in the Yanco, Billabong, Colombo and Forest creek network (otherwise known as the Yanco Creek System, YCS) during the 2021-22 water year. The monitoring is currently focusing on birds, bats, frogs and turtles in wetlands and creeks to generate a long-term dataset to better understand long-term ecological communities.

The aim of the Colombo Creek Fish Habitat Restoration Project is to restore habitats for native fish in the Colombo Creek through native riparian and instream revegetation.

Refreshing Rivers - Central Billabong. A 10-year collaborative project to build on the health of the Yanco Creek System.

Understanding distribution and population status

On-ground willow removal and a workshop at Colombo Creek will be delivered as part of the Murray-Darling Healthy Rivers Small grants (Round 1). The project continues YACTAC's ongoing and successful 15-year willow removal program.

Frog Survey in partnership with Charles Sturt University

Realising the fruits of our labour – Australia’s first release of a fruit-feeding weevil for the biological control of sagittaria.

Download group KML