Mary River Restoration Stories project

Funded by a Community Action Grant

Update 3 September 2013

What it aims to achieve

• To enable MRCCC and the wider riparian restoration community to learn from the last 20 years of Rivercare

• To celebrate and acknowledge the great work of landholders

• To identify ways of overcoming some of the key barriers and promote action

• To improve awareness of river processes and the risks associated with riparian restoration

Five stages to the project1. Document that summarises current status

2. Rivercare Forum Day 1, Widgee, 18 July 2013

– 38 attendees

3. Rivercare Forum Day 2, Cooran, 22 Aug 2013

– 29 attendees

4. Learning to Work with Rivers Professional Development Bus trip, 29 Aug 2013

– 59 attendees

5. Documentation of Lessons Learned

Day 1

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Ideas from Day 1

• Building networks/community groups• Ways of influencing• Monitoring of rehab – how many are successful?• Learn from existing programs, sites and people• Knowing what to plant, where and how• Case studies – reveg – good and bad• Accessing information (look at hindrances identified)• Accessing community service people• Rewilding – animals role in reveg• Building confidence

Ideas from Day 2

• Annual review of progress/keep network going

• Online forum – works for about half the group

• Codline based on story of our restoration

• Extend invite to this network to others

• Come up with a name for the network

• Have social gatherings, working bees in their local area

Learning to work with Rivers Who was on the bus?

MRCCC committee, staff & volunteersLandholders

Mary catchment community groupsSeqwater

Sunshine Coast Council

BMRG

State Government

Burnett community/consultingFraser Coast Council

other

Ideas for the future from Bus trip

• Network of Riparian Rehabilitators

• Restoration project the group can do

• Catchment Crawl, processes, rehabilitation: drive, walk and kayak

• Theory and maths session on river process basics

• Learning from old projects: aerial shots, farm planning, reveg

• Future scenarios: crossings, dams, pump sites

• Integration of ecology with production and restoration

• “Open River” showcases

• Manual produced for practical application

• Include other river reaches eg estuary, also smaller scale waterways

In summary… the key themes are

• Networking, networking, networking

• Riverwalks/open days to share ideas and lessons learned

• Demand for practical resources based on Riparian Condition Assessment and booklet provided to bus trip participants

• Document the workshops and “what we’ve learned”

• Landholder survey

• Acquit the project

What is next ?

Some nice quotes from some council staff…

• “I will use the scoresheets to assess sites, even if they are smaller creeks. Will be better able to select appropriate species for propagation to use in riparian plantings.”

• “Definitely been useful in terms of increasing knowledge base for advising landholders with erosion issues and being able to better explain river processes.”

Thank you to….

Landholders

• Beth King

• Cassie and George Walker

• Mark Needham and Alicia Eugene

Presenters & helpers

• Brian Stockwell

• Graeme Elphinstone

• Brad Wedlock

• Eva Ford

• Phil Moran

• Deb Seal

• Peter McAdam

• Ruth Hutchison

• Elisabeth Berry

• Dale Ricketts

• Tanis

• Chris Rosin