General News
31 July, 2024
River’s $2m erosion upgrade
Floods have damaged waterway’s banks, wetlands and near ferry crossing
FLOOD-damaged riverbanks upstream from the Daintree River ferry crossing will be repaired and nearby wetlands restored in a new $1.98 million project.
Terrain NRM has received funding from the Australian Government to rehabilitate areas close to the ferry crossing in the lower Daintree wetlands precinct, working with Douglas Shire Council, landholders and Jabalbina Yalanji Aboriginal Corporation.
“We’ll be repairing around 100m of eroding riverbank and restoring mangrove habitat,” Terrain NRM’s Charles Hammond said.
“The erosion here, on the Daintree River, has been steadily getting worse, especially with floods like the one after Cyclone Jasper,” he said.
“Remediation work will include a mix of hard and soft engineering, and replanting mangroves and other vegetation.
“Within the lower Daintree area, we will also be working with landholders and traditional owners to improve the condition of nearby wetlands.
“This is an important wetland area for the health of the Daintree River because it’s a settling area for sediment, nutrients and other loads in runoff.
“It’s also a fish nursery and home to more than 70 species of birds as well as flying foxes, estuarine crocodiles and other animals.”
The project aims to improve wetland connectivity and the coastal ecosystem including the fish nursery habitat.
In addition, an aquatic ecosystem rehabilitation plan will be developed, working with the community, to identify rehabilitation priorities for the wetlands in the lower Daintree area.
“We will be working on ways to improve hydrology and connectivity and to reduce fish barriers and invasive species,’’ Mr Hammond said.
The ‘Daintree Wetlands: Reef Coastal Restoration in the Lower Daintree’ project is part of a new $28.5m investment through the Australian Government’s Reef Trust to restore coastal habitats and prevent sediment run-off to the Great Barrier Reef.
