Major river rehabilitation project – Bringing Back the Bruns

Published on 06 June 2023

Work is about to start on a major rehabilitation project on the Brunswick River near Mullumbimby.

Funded by the Australian Government’s Fisheries Habitat Restoration program, the project aims to stabilise 160m of riverbank to improve the health of the river and the local fishery.

“Like many parts of the Brunswick River, this section of riverbank is privately owned but over the years it has been badly eroded,” Council's Biodiversity and Agricultural Projects Officer, Peter Boyd said.

“This project will span four weeks and involves major earthworks to reshape the bank, the building of instream log structures to assist the growth of mangroves and revegetation of the bank,” Mr Boyd said.

The land will be fenced to prevent stock entering the rehabilitation area, where the landholder, the Brunswick River Angling and Deep Sea Fishing Club and volunteers from the not-for-profit OzFish group will be planting 1,400 native plants and trees.

Some of the aims of the project include improving the aquatic and terrestrial habitat for the benefit of our fisheries as well as to stop erosion which will reduce the amount of soil and nutrient runoff entering the river.

The project is supported by Council alongside Local Land Services, the NSW Soil Conservation Service, OzFish and the Brunswick River Angling and Deep Sea Fishing Club.

“This project has been identified as one of the most important rehabilitation projects to be undertake on this stretch of the Brunswick River and it is only possible through the goodwill and contributions of the committed landowner,” Mr Boyd said.