Peel River re-snagging shortlisted for NSW water awards

“The Peel River re-snagging project’s collaborative approach, integrating expertise from diverse disciplines across WaterNSW with a genuine First Nations partnership, makes this project a best practice example of collaboration in the water sector,” WaterNSW Executive Manager, Strategy & Performance, Fiona Smith, said.

“As well as providing long-term environmental benefits that focus on threatened fish species recovery, the project provides an opportunity for significant social and cultural benefits.

“WaterNSW and the Tamworth First Nations community co-designed an environmental education day to share knowledge with local students about caring for Country and water, and sharing knowledge about how WaterNSW uses science to monitor and understand the benefits from installing the snags.

“By partnering and collaborating with Traditional owners, Tamworth Local Aboriginal Land Council Walaaybaa Ranger program and local schools, we aim to increase education, training, procurement, and employment opportunities that aims to help improve upon the social, economic and cultural outcomes for the Tamworth First Nations community.

“The intent is also to have the Rangers continue to be involved in the 5-year monitoring program to continue the genuine integration of Aboriginal cultural knowledge in the project, increasing access to Country, and transforming how we practice Western science,” Fiona said.

Walaaybaa Junior Rangers Program Project Coordinator, Jolene Faint, said: “Sharing voices through engagement and education initiatives provides a cross pollination of western science with traditional knowledge and a meaningful pathway forward in terms of environmental sustainability. The integration of yarns around career opportunities within WaterNSW is an inspiration as well as eye opening for senior students who may previously have never considered a potential career pathway within the water industry.”

WaterNSW installed 50 snags from reclaimed hardwood trees along a 45- kilometre section of the Peel River between Chaffey Dam and Tamworth in mid-2024 as part of environmental offsets for the Chaffey Dam to Dungowan pipeline project in 2020. The snags provide a habitat for Murray Cod and Silver Perch, both nationally threatened species, as well as platypus, rakali and other aquatic life.

Peel River re-snagging is one of two WaterNSW research projects shortlisted by the Australian Water Association for its 2025 NSW Water Awards. Winners will be announced on 14 March in Sydney at the NSW Heads of Water Gala Dinner and Awards.

WaterNSW is also shortlisted for the R&D Excellence Award for its Catchment Futures project which developed alternate future scenarios of what Greater Sydney’s drinking water catchments could look like in 2040 and 2060.

“We are delighted some of our many important research projects have been recognised in this way,” Fiona said.