Catchment News - Issue 30 - June 2010
Date: 11-Jun-10
Author: Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority
Welcome to the June edition of Catchment News, the newsletter of the Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority (CMA). To subscribe to Catchment News or make changes to your subscription details please send an email to hcr@cma.nsw.gov.au.
What's happening around the catchments?
Memories come flooding back
Over two days in May, 36 residents of the Hunter came together to tell their stories of the devastating 1955 Maitland flood for a documentary film being made as part of the CMA's flood education program.
Some were reluctant to recall the memories of the flood; although it was 55 years ago, the events in the Lower Hunter in February 1955 were some of the most dramatic of their lives. So it was with great courage and generosity that survivors and rescuers reunited to record their stories and pay tribute to the humanity and resilience of the Maitland community.
Various groups were brought together based on their experiences sharing a common thread; there were stories from the hotels, the Post Office, the farms, the surf clubs, the Hill, Central Maitland, Oakhampton, Mount Pleasant Street, and stories of survival.
Joan Whatman recalled how she, her husband and their 6 month old daughter were rescued from a barn on their Millers Forest farm by lifesavers from Stockton Surf Club. They included Don Farley and Harry 'Rowly' Rowlatt, who sat beside her as she remembered the joy of seeing the surfboat approaching after being stranded for over 12 hours without food or water.
But thanks to the experience and bravery of the surf lifesavers, and other rescuers who came to their aid, the Whatmans were transferred safely to Raymond Terrace. The following day the Stockton surf lifesavers, having fulfilled their civic duties, rowed all the way home where they almost certainly enjoyed a cold beer and a well-earned rest.
Local historian Peter Bogan deserves special acknowledgement for the huge contribution he has made to the project in contacting flood survivors, historical research, and coordinating the recording sessions. The documentary will be in production over the coming months and details of its availability will be provided through Catchment News and on the CMA website. To put your name down for a DVD copy, please contact Amanda Hyde on 4930 1030.
Bringing Back the Fish
In the late 1990s, NSW Fisheries and NSW Department of Primary Industries (now Industry & Investment NSW) initiated extensive audits of fish passage barriers in coastal NSW and developed a list of priority sites for remediation. Since that time they have been working to address migrational barriers identified on these lists.
Over the past three years the Hunter-Central Rivers CMA has joined other coastal CMAs to support Industry & Investment NSW in remediating priority instream barriers as part of the Bringing Back the Fish project. The final report for the project was delivered to the CMA in March and CMA staff were invited to tour some of the remediation sites in May to hear about the results of the works and to discuss activities that could further improve fish passage in the Hunter-Central Rivers region.
The $3 million project was funded by the Australian Government and administered by Southern Rivers CMA, with Industry & Investment NSW contracted to deliver the project outcomes.
Within three years, the project has resulted in improved migratory fish access to 1,235 km of additional waterways in coastal NSW through the remediation of 94 priority sites including 10 weirs, 22 road crossings, and 54 floodgates. Native fish populations also benefited from aquatic habitat rehabilitation projects that improved core habitat health to 1,907 hectares at 8 sites using innovative techniques including seagrass friendly moorings and bank stabilising rock fille
