Fish hotels and cod holes are on the way for the Condamine River, thanks to an extension of Arrow Energy’s partnership with the Condamine Alliance.
The partnership extension, announced in Dalby today, will fund a three-year program of works to increase the river’s stocks of native fish.
“The Condamine Alliance and Arrow are established partners and have cooperated on Dalby’s Loudoun fishway in the past,” Arrow CEO Andrew Faulkner said.
“However, today’s announcement lifts this relationship to an entirely new level.
“The Arrow-Condamine Alliance partnership will deliver a three-year program of works to the Dewfish Demonstration Reach near Dalby –110km of waterways from St Ruths Reserve to Loudoun Weir, including sections of Myall and Oakey creeks.
“Already, the Alliance’s work is seeing more native fish in the river and we expect the next years to bring a multi-fold increase as we restore more fish habitat.
“The Alliance is to be congratulated on leading the revival mission for river rehabilitation in this catchment over the past six years and I am pleased that Arrow will continue to be a major part of it for the next three years.”
“The Arrow-Condamine Alliance partnership will deliver:
- new research, including fish excluding screens around irrigation pumps; methods to propagate and plant aquatic vegetation for small fish species; and identification of barriers between fish populations
- on-ground works, like creating fish hotels and cod holes, and revegetating river banks
- pest management, including carp traps and carp fishing days
- community engagement, and planning.
Condamine Alliance CEO Phil McCullough said the new partnership agreement had secured the future of the multi-award winning Dewfish Demonstration Reach.
“The Dewfish Demonstration Reach has been the showcase project in our catchment, attracting both national and international attention,” Mr McCullough said.
“Arrow’s ongoing commitment will see the largest corporate investment, through us, into our catchment’s environment to date.
“This partnership is great news not only for our native fish but for everyone who relies on and enjoys the waterways in our catchment.
“Arrow’s contribution will go a long way towards helping us reach our ultimate goal of restoring native fish populations to 60 per cent of pre-European settlement. They are currently at 10 per cent.”
Mr Faulkner said the partnership was a demonstration of Arrow’s sustainable development policy, which committed the company to protecting natural habitats, landscape functions and biodiversity.
“Today’s partnership extension is also delivering on our environmental impact statement commitments to help protect native fish species in the areas where we work,” Mr Faulkner said.
“I am pleased we are able to keep supporting an already innovative and successful program that monitors the populations of exotic fish in Murray Cod habitat, particularly in streams where Arrow operates.”
The Arrow-Condamine Alliance partnership extension was launched this morning in a ceremony on the banks of Myall Creek, Dalby.
Media contact:
Condamine Alliance
Phone: +61 7 4620 0106 / +61 423 193 900
Email: [email protected]