Townsville City Council engaged Biodiversity Australia to implement the preliminary stages of riparian recovery works along the riverbanks of the Ross River. In 2019, the Townsville local government area experienced an unprecedented weather event with significant impact on waterways.

Biodiversity Australia are clearing all exotic species above high-water to provide a ‘clean’ working area for bank re-contouring and subsequent revegetation with native endemic species. Vegetation removed will be treated to create beneficial humic soils. The project will also gain a better understanding of the condition of the top of the bank i.e. location of erosion gullies, so that overbank remediation works can be appropriately designed.

Key deliverables including any reporting requirements:
• Removal of all non-native herbaceous plants
• Collection of all litter from the work site
• Woody weeds e.g. Leucaena, to be cut near the base and treated
• Mulching of woody weed material and larger vegetation litter to be stockpiled and treated later with pro-biotics