Richmond News A newsletter about natural-resource In this Issue management on the Richmond Floodplain ECOHEALTH REPORT Pr Issue 18 The Richmond catch- ment earns only a D+ grade on its river-health report card. WEBSITE AIDS IN FLOODS Council and SES launch ‘one-stop’ website for flood information. FLOODWAY DOES THE JOB New South Lismore floodway proves its worth.

CONTACTS What’s What on the Rich- mond Floodplain.

Launching the Ecohealth report at Ballina are, from left, RRCC general manager Kyme WELCOME Lavelle, report author Professor Darren Ryder, LLS team leader Peter Boyd and RRCC chair- Welcome to the Richmond Flood- man David Wright. plain newsletter, an initiative of the . Richmond River County Council. Catchment scores D+ in report Council’s longstanding commit- Waterways in the Richmond River mark to assess the catchment’s ment to restoration of degraded catchment are in poor condition, water quality. areas through natural-resource but there is some hope for improve- “There is only so much that a small management was showcased with ment. organisation can do,” Cr Wright said. release of the Ecohealth report for The catchment scored an over-all the Richmond River. “The constituent councils, Ballina, rating of D+ in the year-long Eco- Lismore and Richmond Valley, along While the over-all river health health aquatic ecosystem check, with RRCC, have put in money to result of D+ was disappointing, the conducted by researchers from the start a riparian repair program and report received valuable media University of New England (UNE). that is already in place.” attention and the recommended Representatives of the Richmond improvements are possible. Cr Wright said that taking the report River County Council (RRCC), Local in combination with the council’s Congratulations to all partners and Land Services (LLS) and the UNE blackwater studies, he was quite consultant BMTWBM for deliver- project team released the Ecohealth certain council would be able to ing an interactive flood website, report during a function at the work on the problem. which is an invaluable resource for Fishery Creek boat ramp, at Ballina, the Northern community. on July 24. Local Land Services team leader Development is continuing. Watch Peter Boyd said LLS and the Office RRCC general manager Kyme this space! of Environment and Heritage were Lavelle said the results of the study proud to sponsor the report. We hope to continue to deliver cre- were not a surprise and it would ative ideas, solutions and support certainly guide the council in the It had set a fantastic benchmark and for the community future. showed exactly what could be done through initiatives, such as the new in the different subcatchments. RRCC chairman David Wright said mitigation floodway in Lismore, the council had needed a bench- Continued, another picture, next page. which will help in flood situations. Ecohealth report Richmond River catchment health scores D+ From Page 1 we have the Richmond and Wilson “What it may not show though is rivers meeting plus the influence of the amount of work and input that the tide pushing the impacts from has gone into rehabilitation of the down here [Ballina] upstream, the creeks and catchments over the reason that that area gets an F is be- past 10 years,” Mr Boyd said. cause of where it is. It gets the im- pacts from here pushed upstream “I used to work with the catch- and the impacts from upstream ment management authority and pushed down and because that’s through state and federal fund- where the river flattens out and it ing it spent more than $500,000 doesn’t flow so fast, that’s where all in the Richmond catchment alone the issues accumulate. on things like riparian restoration, “We have urban areas as well and working with local land holders, The Terania Creek headwater scores a B. Landcare groups and industries … they need to be sustainable. One dairy, beef, macadamias … trying to “The river is what connects the val- of our outcomes is to try to guide protect their riparian zones and the ley,” Prof Ryder said. management into riparian resto- health of the river. ration and river bank restoration “Things we do at the top of the and how we can sustain local and “In the past three years alone we catchment affect what happens regional communities and improve have spent more than $210,000 of here in Ballina and what happens in the river at the same time.” state and federal funding on the Ballina affects the people up at Co- lower Richmond and the upper raki, Lismore and Casino, as the tide The Ecohealth report summary said Richmond catchment.” pushes the impacts upstream and that 48 study sites were selected the fresh water pushes the impacts across the Richmond catchment; Mr Lavelle said that with state gov- back downstream. 23 fresh-water sites and 25 estua- ernment support, RRCC was put- rine sites and these were sampled ting together an annual $280,000 “The connectivity and getting all monthly (estuarine) or bi-monthly program for river bank restoration these councils talking to one an- (fresh water) over a 12-month works in the Richmond estuary other is going to be one of the best period in 2014 to contribute to the which would be implemented outcomes for the river and the peo- assessment of the ecological condi- quickly once it was approved. ple that live near the river.” tion of the catchment. “We have other studies under way Lowest score The Richmond catchment was too into blackwater and with river- Prof Ryder said the Richmond Eco- divided into five hydrologic units bank restoration, this report identi- health score was the lowest of the for reporting; Richmond River main fies these as major factors in ad- North Coast rivers. stem; Wilsons River; Eden and Iron dressing some of the health issues Pot Creeks and ; “There are many reasons for that,” of the river,” he said. Bungawalbin, Myrtle and Sandy he said. “It’s a tourist hotspot, it has Creeks; and Emigrant, Maguires and Mr Lavelle said the release of the intensive agriculture and it’s got a North Creeks. Ecohealth report was an important very large floodplain relative to the milestone. size of the catchment. The over-all grade for the Richmond catchment was D+, ranging from “We now have enough information “In the top of the catchment of the an F in the Wilsons River and upper to progress the restoration of the Richmond we have some excellent Richmond estuary to a C in the river, which is in very poor condition places with very good water quality headwater streams of the catch- at the moment,” he said. and very good riparian vegetation ment. Twelve of the 17 river systems and very good health. Professor Darren Ryder, of the UNE recorded a score of D or less. School of Environmental and Rural “As we head down the catchment, The upper fresh-water reaches of Science, said the report allowed impacts tend to accumulate, so by the areas that needed work to be the time we get to Coraki, where Continued, Page 5. prioritised.

2 The Richmond Floodplain Newsletter – Issue 18 August, 2015 News flows Flood information website wins award

The new Richmond River flood Excerpt from the site: “This website information website took out sec- has been designed to make it easier ond place in this year’s Floodplain for you to find information about Management Association (FMA) flooding in your area. Explore the excellence awards. site to learn more about flooding in the local area and how it might The awards were presented at the affect you. There are resources to FMA national conference dinner, on help you prepare and recover from May 21, at the Brisbane Convention flooding, information about the re- and Exhibition Centre. cent changes to some of the stream The site is a joint project of Rich- gauges, links to past flood inves- mond River County Council (RRCC), tigations and some myth-busting the NSW State Emergency Service answers to a few of the frequently (SES), Richmond catchment coun- At the website launching are, from left, asked questions about flooding. cils, state government authorities RRCC general manager Kyme Lavelle, “In the next few months we’ll be and NSW MyRoadInfo. Richmond-Tweed SES regional controller Kaylene Jones and Phil Buchanan, of the introducing an interactive mapping It was nominated for the FMA and Office of Environment and Heritage. page which brings together a range NRMA Insurance flood risk manage- of flood mapping and real-time ment project of the year award. of flood control as it would present data, so you can get a better under- The site integrates flood informa- real-time data and that from various standing of flood risk in your area. flood models. tion and emergency information in- “The site is a collaborative project cluding SES messaging and Bureau She agreed with Mr Lavelle that it between various local, state and of Meteorology weather warnings. probably would help reduce the federal agencies, including: Ballina It also provides community educa- number of calls to the SES, particu- Shire Council, Bureau of Meteorol- tion including preparedness and larly for information outside times ogy, Floodplain Management Asso- recovery tips, flood studies and of flooding. ciation, Council, Lismore City historical information on floods. “It will be useful for community en- Council, NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, NSW Office of Water, One-stop site gagement too, encouraging people to do that planning beforehand, Richmond River County Council, When it was launched in Decem- rather than when they are confront- , NSW State ber, RRCC general manager Kyme ed by a storm or flood,” she said. Emergency Services.” Lavelle said it would be a one-stop Visit www.flood.rrcc.nsw.gov.au . site for flood information, particu- “During a significant weather event larly in times of emergency. or flood, you lose power, you lose phones. You can’t do your planning “It integrates all the information at that time.” from all the major agencies,” he said. Ms Jones said the idea for the “It identifies all the flood studies, all site came out of discussions be- the flood levels. It includes informa- tween the SES and RRCC about tion on roads. It provides informa- river heights and changes to flood tion in regard to flood preparedness gauges on the floodplain. The main and flood recovery. It’s a great place driver for establishment of the site for people to access all that informa- was former RRCC floodplain services tion.” manager Michael Wood. Richmond-Tweed SES regional con- The $120,000 project was funded troller Kaylene Jones said the site on two-for-one basis, with $80,000 would be useful to the SES in the coming from the State Government Former RRCC floodplain services manager planning and preparation phases Michael Wood with the site in the back- and $40,000 from RRCC. ground.

The Richmond Floodplain Newsletter – Issue 18 August 2015 3 Ecohealth report Richmond River catchment scores D+

4 The Richmond Floodplain Newsletter – Issue 18 August, 2015 Ecohealth report Upper estuary is in the poorest condition

What you can do to help

Conserve and maintain well-vegetated Control and manage stock access to riparian (riverbank) areas, particularly streams by fencing riparian areas and deep-rooted native species that help providing off-stream stock watering stabilise streambanks. points and shade areas. Revegetate streambanks that have Reduce soil erosion and sedimentation been cleared or depleted of vegetation of streams by retaining groundcover using a range of suitable, local native and vegetation buffers (e.g. through plant species. rotational grazing, stubble retention Identify and manage weeds appropri- and head-row buffers). ately. Obtain advice and necessary approvals Leave woody debris and natural rock from local or state governments before formations in waterbodies. undertaking any infrastructure works near or in streams (e.g. modifying a Reduce nutrient and pollutant run-off stream crossing). into streams (e.g. fertilisers, chemicals or cleaning products). Reduce water consumption. Headwater streams in better shape From Page 2. RRCC floodplain project officer Garry Owers said the Ecohealth the Richmond catchment had better study would be repeated in three water quality, aquatic macro-inver- years. tebrates and geomorphic condition than the lower fresh-water reaches, but no better riparian condition. The upper estuary (upstream of Woodburn) was consistently in the poorest condition, with very high nutrient concentrations, turbidity and algal biomass.

The Richmond Floodplain Newsletter – Issue 18 August 2015 5 News flows New floodway proves its worth after May deluge

The newly completed South Lis- more floodway proved its worth during the May flood. The 100-metre-wide floodway runs behind the Bunnings hardware store and Masters home-improve- ment store, on the . It was completed last year when it was excavated to provide site fill for the Masters store. The Wilsons River Channel Improve- ment Project included removal of remnant embankment and creation of a channel to improve the passage of flood flows away from the Lis- This picture of the floodway was taken on May 2 after heavy rainfall of more than 150 mm more central business district. across the catchment. The gauge height at Lismore was about 7.2 metres AHD. The flood- way starts flowing at 5.1 metres AHD. Richmond River County Council (RRCC) assets engineer Gillian The Lismore flood levee prevented vice road to Lismore City Council as Marchant said the floodway resulted the water from entering the CBD. public lands. The floodway itself will in a 100-mm drop in the flood level The final component of the project be recorded in RRCC’s asset system around the Lismore CBD during the and treated in the same manner as May flood. is to transfer all the floodway land east of the Bunnings-Masters ser- the Lismore levee. Riverbank vandalism is repaired

Lismore businesses and local gov- “They actually grew about three ernment have combined to repair metres in one year,” Mr Owers said. damage done by vandals at a ripar- ian rehabilitation project beside the “However, after the May flood we Wilson River. found that many had been cut down and in successive weeks Richmond River County Council more and more were cut down.” (RRCC) floodplain project officer The EnviTE repair team on site. Garry Owers said trees that were Mr Owers said that when they planted as part of work to improve heard about the vandalism, Alston- while EnviTE provided workers and the riverbank behind the Norco fac- ville’s Alpine Nursery had supplied the Lismore City Council supplied tory, near the Ballina Street bridge, advanced trees for replanting, mulch for the project. had been growing well up to April. Council warns on floodgates Richmond River County Council (RRCC) has warned farmers and other property owners not to interfere with floodgates. The warning comes after several instances of incorrect floodgate operation leading to damage. RRCC asset engineer Gillian Marchant said in one case a tractor had been used to open large floodgates without permission. She urged farmers not to risk illegal operation of the gates as the damage to floodgate infrastructure was very costly and there was a risk of injury or Vandalised trees lie on the riverbank. fatality. 6 The Richmond Floodplain Newsletter – Issue 18 August, 2015 What’s What on the Richmond Floodplain

There are many groups involved in the natural resource management in the floodplain. The following is a list designed to help you improve your flood- plain networks. If you know of other groups that should be included, or if any of the details appearing below need updating, please contact: The Gen- eral Manager (02) 6621 8314 or email [email protected].

Ballina Fishing Co-operative North Coast Local Land Services Regulates the sale of professional fishers’ catch. North Coast Local Land Services is a part of the NSW Contact: General manager Department of Industry and Investment. It provides Ballina Fishermen’s Co-operative catchment management, natural-resource management, phone: (02) 6686 2533 biosecurity, agricultural production advice and emer- gency management. Its strategies are consistent with ecologically sustainable development and total catch- ment management.. Bungawalbyn Catchment Management phone: 6626 5659 Group email: [email protected] Formed to source funding, implement on-ground works and demonstrate better management of the Bungawalbyn sub-catchment. email: [email protected] NSW Department of Primary Industries (Agriculture and Fisheries)

Agriculture: Soil and water investigations, acid-sulfate soil research, best management practices for back- Drain Watch swamps. Drain watch groups are being set up by the sugar phone: (02) 6626 1200 industry to monitor water quality. This is an outcome email: [email protected] of the sugar industry’s three-year program develop- Fisheries: Protect and enhance aquatic habitat in ing best management practices for improving water natural waterways within the estuarine reaches of the quality in drains. floodplain. Contact: Broadwater Sugar Mill phone: 6626 1200 phone: 6620 8200 email: [email protected] Floodplain and Acid Sulfate Soils Network: Provides an avenue for flood mitigation authorities, research Environmental Training and Education bodies, government organisations to exchange ideas Inc (ENVITE) and information. email: [email protected] Provides training and education to unemployed young people. Engages in environmental works around the catchment. Contact: General manager phone: 6621 9588 NSW Sugar Milling Co-operative, email: [email protected] Broadwater Regulates and processes sugar cane production on the Far North Coast. phone: 6620 8200 Far North Coast Weeds Works with a wide range of stakeholders to combat the spread of noxious weeds in the Northern Rivers Office of Environment and Heritage region of NSW. Estuary Northern NSW: Contact: Chief Weeds Officer Floods Northern NSW: phone: 6623 3833 email: [email protected] email: [email protected] What’s What on the Richmond Floodplain

Richmond Landcare Inc. Wilson’s River Landcare Group Supports and represents local Landcare groups The main focus of the group is river bank restora- and works in partnerships with others in the com- tion and enhancing riparian vegetation at sites along munity to protect, manage and enhance natural the Wilson River at Lismore. resources in the Richmond River catchment. phone: 6624 7979 or 6624 5500 phone: 02 6619 1582 email: [email protected] email: [email protected]

Richmond River Cane Growers Association Body representing cane growers on the Richmond River. phone: 6683 4205 email: [email protected]

Richmond River County Council (RRCC) Responsible for flood mitigation, drain mainte- nance and water quality in the Ballina, Lismore and Richmond Valley areas.

Contact: General manager phone: 6621 8314 email: [email protected]

Wetland Care Concerned with rehabilitation of drained wetlands, and reinstatement of wetlands and their ecological functions. phone: 6681 6069 email: [email protected]

RichmondMORE River County INFO Council Floodplain Management website http://www.rrcc.nsw.gov.au/

Design: Flexible Learning Development Services, Southern Cross University. Editorial: North Coast Media, phone 6683 2295.