The main weeds targeted include; lantana, camphor laurel, ground asparagus, moth vine, cats claw creeper, white passionfruit, mistflower, tobacco bush and large-leaved privet.

Once bush regenerators have completed their contract day requirements landholders are required to maintain these works in the long term through provision of training and skills for site restoration and maintenance. Enhancing landholder knowledge and awareness of the impact weeds have on biodiversity is a significant objective of this project.

This is Year 2 of the NRCMA’s Riparian Rehabilitation Reach Based Project for the Upper Kalang River – Lower Reach. The project is located in the Kalang catchment and Bellingen LGA. Four properties are involved in the project which mainly involves weed control, planting to stabilise the stream bank, fencing to exclude cattle from the stream bank, and provision of off-stream watering points.

The main aim of the project is to improve; stream bank stability through planting of locally native riparian species, water quality, habitat connectivity and biodiversity. The project will involve enhancement of restoration works undertaken in Year 1.

The main threat to Kalang River is that of environmental weeds including; madeira vine, camphor laurel, small- and large-leaved privet and lantana. Lantana has been listed as a Key Threatening Process under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and is a Weed of National Significance.

Year 4 of the Myall – Double Duke Riparian Rehabilitation project is progressing well. To date, approximately 25 km of stream bank has been targeted for weed control and more than 11 km has been fenced. Works have been carried out on Myall, Camira and Bungawalbyn Creeks.

The project objectives are to carry out on-ground works including weed control, planting, fencing to exclude stock access from the stream bank, provision of off-stream watering points, and to remediate channel instability, through funding from the NRCMA. Action plans will be developed for new properties that don’t already have one prepared to address key threats to riparian environments.

Cats Claw Creeper is the main weed infestation occurring in the Myall Creek sub-catchment and is also listed as a Key Threatening Process (Exotic Vines) under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Cats Claw Creeper climbs up trees, eventually covering them with a curtain-like cover, with many trees eventually succumbing to the weight of the vine and fall over.

Trial plots have been set up in a number of sites to determine which are the most efficient control methods and apply those methods to on-ground works.

A Community Reference Committee was formed in late 2007 to encourage project ownership to landholders, provide a link to the local community, build community capacity for long term project implementation, and guide future funding allocation considerations.