Dead stands of willows and sycamores and fallen exotic timber are being cleared from the Delatite River, upstream of Merrijig and through to Mirimbah.
Dead stands of willows and sycamores and fallen exotic timber are being cleared from the Delatite River, upstream of Merrijig and through to Mirimbah.
These works will reduce the fuel loads along the river frontage before the fire season commences this summer.
The clean-up has been made possible through the State Governments Bushfire Recovery funding with focus on the willows poisoned two years ago, which will be removed and replaced with indigenous native vegetation allowing better access to the river.
Over summer riparian weeds including blackberry, prunus and hawthorn along this project area will be controlled in association with other authorities.
Project Manager Janette Currie, from the Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (GB CMA), is delighted with the progress made during the past two weeks.
"It is fantastic to see the tall manna gums and the river now that the dead wood and other weeds have been removed," Janette said.
"This will be the first time in several generations that the Delatite riparian zone, in this reach, has been visible from the road."
Native species will have the chance to regenerate with access to sunlight and will be supplemented with thousands of tube stock to help build up a corridor of natural vegetation along the river.
Replanting will begin mid 2009, with some adjoining properties working on fencing projects to protect their water frontage.
Janette also said that the project will extend as far as Mirimbah, where the GB CMA has worked with Mount Buller & Mount Stirling Alpine Resort Management to clear sycamore and other woody weeds adjacent to the Mt Stirling Road bridge and Mirimbah park.
"We are eager to work in partnership with other authorities to improve the health of our rivers, and this particular collaboration has been very successful."
"The cooperation of landholders along this stretch of the Delatite has been fantastic and we look forward to working together to achieve a healthy river bank and a healthy river."
Landholders interested in working with GBCMA on the Delatite River project please contact Janette Currie on 0400 987 664.
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For more information please contact:
Stacey Brauman at Impress Publicity 0400 644 637