While the theme for 2018 was “wetlands for a sustainable urban future”, the Far South Coast Local Land Services team, partnering with local land managers and the Eurobodalla Shire Council, have been hard at work in and around the Tuross River to make sure that the river, and the communities and industries it supports, have a sustainable future too.

Andrew Hart, new owner of Coopers Island in Bodalla, and six other land managers in the area, will be erecting fencing to prevent stock from entering the river and fringing wetlands and causing more silt to enter the water.

They will also plant native vegetation on the riverside and fringing wetlands to provide stability for the bank, act as a buffer against erosion and pollutants effecting water quality and provide habitat for native animals.

Andrew runs beef cattle, and will work on his property in 2018 through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program. The aim of the funding is to address the main causes of water quality issues within the Tuross River. "I see this project as a win for the environment and for the property,” Mr Hart said. 

A risk assessment undertaken as part of the Eurobodalla Shire Council’s Tuross Estuary and Coila Lake Coastal Management Plan (2017) identified that agricultural practices and bank erosion causing sedimentation pose the highest risk to the estuary values.

At the same time bank erosion causing loss of agricultural land is the highest risk to agricultural values, so the Local Land Services (LLS) team have designed a project that will provide a positive social, environmental and economic outcome.

“Through this project I’m hoping to prevent river bank loss, improve water quality and protect the many sensitive wetlands on my property,” Mr Hart said.

As part of the project significant areas of coastal saltmarsh and mangroves will be enhanced and protected, both of which are important nursery grounds for many commercial fish. Better water quality will also improve the productivity and sustainability of oyster farmers and environmental values of the estuary which are important for fishing, recreation and tourism. 

“Wetlands are a critical part of our environment in the South East and are our greatest asset, as they filter nutrients and sediment from our rivers, bind our coastline preventing erosion and also act as a nursery for important recreational fish species” said  LLS officer, Sonia Bazzacco.

The current round of funding is closed, but to express interest in future grants, find out more about this project, or how you can help manage wetlands in the South East, call Sonia on 0429 998 585.