Steady on the river bank to prevent erosion

Tree harvesting will provide hundreds of river bank erosion pins for use in the management of the region’s waterways.

Tree harvesting at Goulburn Valley Water’s Shepparton Wastewater Management Facility will produce hundreds of river bank erosion pins for use in managing the region’s waterways.

Goulburn Valley Water established tree plantations on different sites decades ago as part of a long-term trial for tree irrigation using recycled water.

This trial is now complete, and the trees have been removed. Four years ago, about 45 hectares of trees were harvested from the Daldy Road site to help remediate the land and convert it into productive irrigated farming with vegetation corridors.

This latest harvest, which started this week, will see suitable trees from the wastewater facility used to support environmental outcomes through a Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (GBCMA) program.

People travelling along Shepparton-Barmah Road might notice the harvesting activity or see additional trucks on the road during the harvest.

Goulburn Valley Water Managing Director Dr Steve Capewell said repurposing the harvested trees for environmental benefit was a wonderful outcome for both organisations.

“Not only will the trees be put to good use, but the cleared land will also be rehabilitated to allow our farming operations to continue expanding.

“We have recycled water available at the Shepparton facility, and the tree harvest will allow the land to be farmed using this water for irrigation once soil rehabilitation has been completed,” he said.

The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority (GBCMA) uses timber pins to control river bank erosion. Hundreds of trees measuring 150mm to 300mm in diameter are planted annually to improve the health of waterways across the region.

Enough trees are expected to be provided to the Goulburn Broken CMA for many years to satisfy their timber pin requirements.

“This is a win-win scenario with the Goulburn Broken CMA. Access to these trees will allow us to continue stabilising riverbanks at key sites along our local rivers and streams. It’s a great example of the two organisations working together for the good of our waterways,” Interim GBMCA Chief Executive Carl Walters said.

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