The deployment of jute mesh was just one measure put in place to control sediment and erosion after the Tathra bushfire
10 November 2023
Bega Valley Shire Council’s Green Shoots Bushfire Recovery Program has won the Local Government Category at the annual NSW Coastal Management Conference awards ceremony.
Council’s Environment and Sustainability Coordinator, Derek Van Bracht said it was an honour to accept the award on behalf of the many project partners and bring further recognition to the importance of environmental restoration for individuals and communities in their recovery from a natural disaster.
“Green Shoots touched so many impacted communities in the shire and gave them the opportunity to identify priority areas for restoration, participate in hands-on environmental restoration works and planting activities,” Mr Van Bracht said.
The program was initiated in partnership with the Tathra community as part of Council’s response to the Tathra Bushfires in 2018 and was extended across the shire to the areas impacted by the Black Summer bushfires in 2019/20.
“Building on the environmental stabilisation and rehabilitation works in 2018, the Black Summer response targeted high-value catchments and coastal waterways, as about a third of the shire’s precious estuaries had most of their catchments severely burnt,” Mr Van Bracht said.
“The ground was badly scalded and the forests, wetlands and coastal heath were scorched, leaving no vegetation cover.
“The geographic scale of the program was enormous and we had to assess and prioritise the vast fireground as quickly as possible using innovative rapid catchment techniques.
“We used a range of catchment protection works, such as deploying jute mesh, installing straw bale and coir log checks in gullies, placing fallen logs across steep slopes and we installed sediment fences in strategic locations.”
Mr Van Bracht said following the initial rapid response, Council received funding under the Bushfire Affected Coastal Waterways Program from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
“This was most welcome as it meant we could implement a 3-year water quality monitoring program across five severely impacted estuaries and instigate multi-year revegetation, bank stabilisation, weed control and community events involving revegetation activities,” Mr Van Bracht said.
“The program continues to work across private and public lands, with Council receiving ongoing expressions of interest from community members as a result of its success to date.
“We acknowledge and thank the many local property owners and volunteers who have worked in partnership with us to ensure the success of Green Shoots across the shire.
“Green Shoots has demonstrated how strong collaboration between different government agencies, organisations, community groups and individuals can bring communities together.
“The program has allowed communities to get involved in the restoration and recovery process which in turn helped build morale and hope.”
