River Recovery projects
Our leading partners
River Recovery
River Recovery is Greening Australia's major initiative to rehabilitate key river reaches around Australia.
Protecting and restoring our rivers is arguably Australia's most vital infrastructure project, servicing not only agriculture and industry, but the whole nation and its environment.
River Recovery is built on a long term vision. With 22 000km of Australian rivers in urgent need of repair*, Greening Australia's goal is to restore over 10 000 km of degraded rivers over the next 20 years. To date we have restored over 600 kilometres of degraded rivers.
Greening Australia's philosophy for caring for our waterways is centred on maintaining our natural ‘infrastructure’. By infrastructure we don’t mean the cement, steel and pipes that people normally associate with the word, but our natural infrastructure of trees, wetlands, rivers, plants and animals - the functioning ecosystems on which our security, growth and quality of life are built.
Greening Australia video
Hear Dr David Freudenberger, Director of Science and Major projects at Greening Australia talk about River Recovery in a submission to the 10th Annual River Symposium, Thiess Riverprize Awards in 2007.
A shared vision: over 50 partners
The goals of River Recovery has inspired Australian business, government, and individuals to join with Greening Australia in the challenge. Our major national partners have swelled to over 50, including the Australian Government, Alcoa of Australia, The Nature Conservancy and the Macquarie Foundation. Regionally, over 50 organisations have invested in on-ground action to restore focus rivers including regional NRM boards, local business, State Government agencies, local government and individual landowners.
River Recovery focus rivers
Hawkesbury - Nepean (Western Sydney)
Boorowa - (Southern New South Wales)
Derwent - (Tasmania)
Read about our River Recovery projects through the left menu.
Practical action
Since 2004, resources have been directed towards the focus rivers. Each river presents its own unique challenge and action is underpinned by robust science and planning. The broad approach to recovery includes:
- Fencing-off rivers at least 30 metres on either side
- Establishing off-site stock watering points
- Protecting high-value river sites where habitat is still intact
- Stabilising eroding stream banks with vegetation
- Controlling weeds and pests
- Improving fish passage
- Replanting and rehabilitating vegetation to act as a natural filter for water
- Educating and improving riparian management by landholders, industries and other river users to prevent future decline
- Training a new generation of Australians to under stand and care for their local river.
*National Land and Water Resources Audit 2005
