The Namoi Demonstration Reach was established in 2007 under the multi-million dollar Namoi Aquatic Habitat Initiative, which recognised that native fish populations and river health had significantly declined in the Namoi catchment and there was a need to do something about it. The demonstration reach was set up along a 150km stretch of the Namoi River between the towns of Gunnedah and Narrabri. Acknowledging that numerous factors had contributed to the river’s deterioration, the program focussed on building strong partnerships with community and key stakeholders and implementing a range of aquatic rehabilitation activities, such as native revegetation, riverbank fencing, erosion control, resnagging and fish passage works across the catchment.
Demonstration reaches are a key theme of the Native Fish Strategy, and reveal how restoration of our native fish communities and the rehabilitation of the health of our waterways can be achieved through the integration of multiple management actions, strong community involvement, and monitoring and evaluation