Waterways in the Central Tablelands are set to benefit from $37,700 of funding from the Habitat Action Grants Program, which has awarded more than $600,000 in grants to recreational angling clubs, community groups, landholders and councils to improve fish habitat across NSW.
Ms Cooke said the funding has been awarded to Central Tablelands LLS for an innovative new project called “Screens for Streams” which will be managed by Cowra Local Land Services.
The project involves installing fish-friendly screens in the Lachlan River.
“Millions of fish and their eggs are lost from the Murray Darling system each year through irrigation pumps and diversions, so this project aims to install screens at priority sites to prevent fish, their eggs and larvae from getting sucked into these man-made devices,” Ms Cooke said.
“These screens are a great tool for delivering substantial environmental outcomes for native fish in the Lachlan.
“Funding for this grant was provided through the Recreational Fishing Trusts, where all money raised by the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee is spent on improving recreational fishing in NSW.”
In 2019, a total of $619,999 has been committed across 28 unique fish habitat projects that cover many iconic coastal and inland fishing spots in NSW, with over $925,176 also committed as in-kind support from the successful applicants.
Ms Cooke said the benefits of the grant funding would be far reaching.
“It’s fantastic that well over a million dollars will go into enhancing and rehabilitating fish habitats in NSW because ultimately, it’s not only the fish who will benefit –water quality and biodiversity of our rivers will also be improved,” Ms Cooke said.
A full list of successful projects can be found at https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/habitat/rehabilitating/ahr-grants-program
