Bringing back the Bruns

Our bush regeneration team is working along 12 kms of the Brunswick River, clearing the banks of weeds and planting native plants.

In 2023 and 2024 we received funding to remove Camphor Laurel and other weeds along the riverbank at Mullumbimby. We focused on areas that have high potential for native regeneration. We also planted about 1000 trees, installed nest boxes, and created habitat holes in tree stumps. 

In 2021 and 2023, we partnered with North Coast Local Land Services and a private landholder to rehabilitate 160m of high priority eroded riverbank. This involved:

• bank stabilisation works
• fencing cattle
• mangrove seeding and
• riparian buffer rehabilitation.

In 2019, we received a grant to rehabilitate a 1.8km stretch of riverbank from Mullumbimby Showground to Riverside Drive, Mullumbimby. The project involved:

• weed control
• regeneration of native riverbank vegetation and
• community consultation.

Benefits of riverbank rehabilitation include:

• Native trees provide shade, habitat and food for fish and aquatic life, animals and insects. 
• Improved water quality because riverbanks are stable and not subject to erosion. 
• Improvements to the overall health of the river. 
• Increases river resilience to future flood events. 

Since 2022, we have been helping North Coast Local Land Services to address erosion sites in the Brunswick River catchment. 

This is part of the state-wide River Rehabilitation Project.

The project aims to strengthen flood damaged riverbanks by:

• undertaking targeted riverbank rehabilitation
• protecting high value areas and
• supporting affected land managers.

Three sites have been prioritised within the Brunswick catchment for works.

Fish need to move freely within river systems to breed.

With 34 road crossings in total along the Brunswick River, many of these crossings have prevented fish passage. 

For many years, we have been removing structures that prevent fish passage. 

We have upgraded five causeways and removed three causeway fish barriers in the mid-reaches of the Brunswick River. 

This work has opened up 25 kms of habitat for fish to move more freely up and down the river.

Fish, including bass and mullet now have access to 90% of the river for 100% of the year.  Before this project, fish could only migrate upstream during floods. 

This work has only been possible thanks to:

• Fisheries Flagship Fish Habitat Rehabilitation program
• Habitat Action Grants
• Marine Estate Management Strategy’s Reconnecting Fish Habitats project.

As we continue to rebuild roadways which were impacted by the 2022 floods, improvements are being made to reconstruct drainage structures to assist fish passage. 

To find out more, watch the Bringing Back the Bruns video. 

Land clearing and intensive livestock grazing have reduced soil health, which increases erosion and water runoff into our river catchments. 

Find out what we are doing to Slow the Flow and improve soil health.

We support  landholders to look after their land and resources. 

Our aim is to increase the long-term sustainability of the Brunswick River catchment so everyone can enjoy the many values and benefits the river provides.

For more information visit Regenerative Agriculture in the Byron Shire.

The Northern Rivers Watershed Initiative (NRWI) is a catchment and estuary restoration program. 

It was developed by Rous County Council with partner councils in 2019. It responds to interest in natural flood management techniques.

The initiative aims to improve river and catchment health and reduce flood risk in the: 

• Tweed River
• Brunswick River
• Richmond River
• Evans River.

We have received:

• $300,000 for riparian restoration and catchment revegetation.
• $50,000 to support farmers to improve soil health. 

We will be working with Brunswick Valley Landcare and other regional councils to:

• Increase infiltration – changing agricultural practices to reduce soil compaction, improve soil quality and promote absorption of water. 
• Store water – restoring functioning floodplains and wetlands.
• Slow flows – restoring natural processes and landforms to the river corridor, riparian buffer strips, coarse woody debris).

The Caring for Catchments project aims to improve: 

• catchment health
• build flood resilience
• enhance biodiversity and
• restore vegetation and forests along our riverbanks. 

North Coast Regional Landcare is delivering the project across four North Coast catchments:

• Richmond
• Clarence
• Brunswick 
• Tweed.

Brunswick Valley Landcare and Council have received $160,000 funding for riparian restoration and rehabilitation in the Brunswick River catchment. Restoration work will be done in partnership with private landholders. Mentoring and training will support landholders to continue restoring riparian health on their land.