Fish friendly workshops for councils

Why is this project important?

Many popular activities on NSW waterways depend on healthy water quality and fish habitats.

Local councils play a key role in keeping waterways healthy. They oversee the construction, operation and maintenance of waterway structures like culverts and bridges and undertake works in and around waterways.

Councils can make sure these structures and works are conducted in a ‘fish friendly’ way.

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (Fisheries) is working with local councils to hold fish friendly workshops. The workshops look at ways councils can manage and build structures and undertake works in and around waterways that are friendly for fish and protect water quality.

What have we achieved?

Every council on the North Coast of NSW has now participated in a Fish Friendly Workshop.

Next, we’ll be visiting the South Coast of NSW, followed by Greater Sydney, Central Coast and Mid Coast NSW.

In addition to Fish Friendly Workshops, we’ll be delivering comprehensive Erosion and Sediment Control Training to 3 representatives from each council.

We’re asking councils to nominate 3 ‘Erosion and Sediment Control Champions’ to attend the training and share their new knowledge and skills with their work teams.

Video series

A series of eight fish friendly workshop videos to help local council staff keep fish and coastal habitats healthy have been released online by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development Fisheries.

Topics covered include:

• Harming marine vegetation
• An overview of the Fisheries Management Act Permits and Orders
• Dredging and reclamation
• Obstructing fish passage
• Remediation orders
• Temporary crossings
• Erosion and sediment control
• Dewatering and fish relocation

Link to the full series of videos here.

We delivered 7 workshops across the South Coast, reaching 224 council staff and contractors from Eurobodalla Shire, Bega Valley Shire, Snowy Monaro, Kiama, Shellharbour City, Wollongong City, Shoalhaven City and Wingecarribee Shire.

This completed the South Coast workshop program, with a total of ten workshops delivered to 11 councils and 276 participants overall.

Each participating council was invited to nominate 2 to 3 staff to take part in detailed erosion and sediment control training and become champions for their organisation.

Two training sessions were delivered in Batemans Bay and Huskisson, with 33 council staff attending alongside several DPIRD staff from the Assessment and Compliance team. Strategic Environmental and Engineering Consulting delivered the training.

Fish Friendly Workshops are being planned for the following locations.

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

A series of eight fish friendly workshop videos to help local council staff keep fish and coastal habitats healthy have been released online by DPI Fisheries. Topics covered include:

• Harming marine vegetation
• An overview of the Fisheries Management Act Permits and Orders
• Dredging and reclamation
• Obstructing fish passage
• Remediation orders
• Temporary crossings
• Erosion and sediment control
• Dewatering and fish relocation