OzFish, Australia’s only fish habitat restoration charity, is set to launch the nation’s first dedicated River Repair Boat at a special public event at Faulks Reserve Boat Ramp, Ballina, on Friday.
This new 5.6 metre working punt will operate along the Richmond River, giving OzFish staff, members and volunteers a way to repair, monitor, and access parts of the Richmond River unreachable by land.
The boat is custom built for environmental work, with a stable deck and the load capacity needed for river repair, monitoring gear and volunteer crews. It can access parts of the river that support sensitive fish habitats for native species such as Australian bass, flathead and mulloway.
The River Repair Boat will support oyster reef creation, weed management, waterway cleanups, snag rehabilitation, and responses to storms or floods that might cause fish kills.
The boat marks an evolution in OzFish’s River Repair Bus program, a program operating across the Murray-Darling Basin and New South Wales.
Habitat restoration
OzFish North Coast Project Manager Zoe White said the punt will unlock new opportunities for fish habitat restoration.
‘This is the first river repair vessel of its kind in Australia. It lets us reach and repair parts of the Richmond we can’t get to by land and will help us install oyster reefs we make from recycled oyster shells, which will improve the river’s water quality by filtering it.
‘The river is central to our culture, our love of fishing and the economy of daily life in the region. We want locals to feel proud of this investment and to get involved once the work begins,’ Ms White said.
For the Richmond River Chapter President, Ray Klerck, this boat is the result of locals, volunteers and valued partners like BCF backing the vision of a healthier river.
‘Our members have spent years restoring this river from the ground up, and now we have an incredible tool purpose-built for the job which our community can take ownership of,’ said Mr Klerck.
‘I’d encourage fishers and families to come down, meet the crew and see how they can get involved because we’re ready to scale up the habitat restoration in a way that we could never do from the river bank.’
The new boat is funded through the Community Building Partnership Grants, thanks to the support of Tamara Smith, Member for Ballina.
Ms Smith said, ‘OzFish are an incredible organisation delivering innovative solutions to restore our rivers. I’m so thrilled to have supported them to deliver a moving river repair vessel for the Richmond.’
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