Bushfire Recovery

Fires that started on 21 November 2019 and continued throughout the 2019/20 summer, burnt across the East Gippsland and North East regions. The fires were exceptional in size and impact. Over 1 million hectares or 56% of East Gippsland was burnt. These fires impacted many of the waterways, including rivers in the Far East, the upper Snowy, Tambo, Nicholson and upper Mitchell catchments.

Recovering from bushfires takes a lot of effort from many people and organisations. Working together is the key, and we are proud to partner with the community, landholders, government agencies and non-government organisations to get the job done. Our projects are varied, but they are all focused on delivering on the priorities in the local recovery plan.

Frogs Of The Far East

The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority invited community members to contribute to a citizen science project, Frogs of the Far East, by heading out into their backyard to help track frog recovery since the 2019/20 Black Summer Bushfires.

Frogs of the Far East was launched during frog ID events in Mallacoota, Genoa and Cann River, where people got to see real-life frogs that call East Gippsland home and learn about them and their habitat. Black Snake Productions showcased their private collection of frog species teaching people how to identify frog species and what they can do to create a frog friendly environment in their backyard.

People can still upload frog observations and contribute to Frogs of the Far East; it is a fantastic way that community members can contribute towards valuable environmental knowledge within East Gippsland’s landscape.

How to make a Frog Hotel

The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority was grateful to Mallacoota community members who joined staff from the Arthur Rylah Institute aboard a boat tour in February 2020.

Over 80 people enjoyed a little R&R on the Inlet aboard the MV Loch Ard; it was a fantastic opportunity to share stories and talk about bushfire recovery.  

With experts in aquatic, plant and critter ecology on hand, there was plenty to discuss with water quality, estuary health and monitoring the signs of regeneration all hot topics.

With perfect performances from a rainbow and a Sea Eagle, East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and Arthur Rylah Institute staff got to enjoy the lovely company of Mallacoota locals aboard Mallacoota Cruises in February 2021. It was great to learn how the catchments were responding following the bushfires. We got to monitor the lake’s water and were happy to report that it was looking great and water quality excellent. The walk and talks along Casuarina track were good fun and lots of discussion had about the phases of recovery for plants and animals.

In February 2022 Mallacoota community members got to enjoy a boat tour along the Wallagaraugh River aboard the Gipsy Princess. Graeme Dear and Bryce Watts-Parker from the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority talked about river health projects undertaken in the area as well as bushfire recovery, including water quality monitoring. Although the weather went from wild and wet to sunny and humid, the one constant thing was the passion and enthusiasm from community members to explore the Wallagaraugh River by boat.

Mallacoota community members were again welcomed aboard the Gipsy Princess in August 2022 to travel up the Wallagaraugh river to discuss river health and bushfire recovery. The fundamentals of how to fix a river, water quality trends after large land-scape fires, and fish surveys were all discussed in the context of the Genoa River. In keeping with tradition, all four seasons were experienced, yet the community’s enthusiasm to learn about the history of our local rivers and bushfire recovery works could not be dampened by the sporadic rain experienced throughout the trip. This was an excellent opportunity for the community to get out on the river after a tough couple of years, reconnect with each other and have a good time. Thanks to  Sweet And Savory Treats by Jess , who did a fantastic job keeping everyone fed over the two days. Well done, and thanks to Michael for bringing his Leatherman along for the ride, saving the day with running repairs!

In September 2022 local community members joined the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority aboard the Lady Jodie to talk about the Tambo River. Departing from Johnsonville the boat cruised along the Tambo River to the Swan Reach Bridge and then out to the mouth of the Tambo. The purpose of the boat tour was to talk about issues the river has faced over the last few years, including drought, bushfire effects and flooding. Travelling along the river by boat is a great way to talk to local people about past, present and future river health issues and projects.

The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority attended the 2022 Wild Harvest Seafood Festival at Mallacoota where we hosted a walk and talk on the Casuarina Walk, attended the community market and hosted a boat tour on the lake.

Marlo Primary School students enjoyed an outing in July 2022 learning all about their local environment and the flora and fauna that live there. The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority teamed up with the students walking, talking, and identifying native plant species, weeds and hoping for some whale sightings from Lovelock Lookout. Unfortunately, there were no confirmed whale sightings although the students announced they had in fact seen 300! The day gave the students the opportunity to learn about native plants and invasive weeds. They were taught the common and scientific names of particular species as well as shown different ways to identify them by looking at them, feeling them and smelling them. Other topics of conversation included bush fire recovery, fish habitat, local bird species, platypus and other animals. The students collected fallen flowers and leaf litter to decorate bird boxes which will be installed around their school grounds.

In September 2022 students from Mallacoota P-12 college were shown how they could further their studies and become citizen scientists simultaneously. The students joined the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority on board the Gipsy Princess, discussing waterway health and quality as they toured the Wallagaraugh river. The students undertook water quality testing and sampled for macroinvertebrates. The data collected on the day will help the students prepare an analysis of the health of the waterway post bushfires.

Citizen science is an excellent way for the general public to get involved by collecting data and presenting their results to be used for research projects. The Authority will use Mallacoota P-12 students’ findings to monitor river health post bushfires.

The day out and citizen science project was made possible with environmental contribution funding from the Victorian Government.

A fun afternoon was had with Nicholson Primary School students in October 2022 showing them how to construct frog hotels using recycled products. These hotels were placed within the school grounds for local frogs to reside. The students also learnt about different frog species and their calls. Any sightings of frogs in the hotels can be recorded on the iNaturalist app, contributing to citizen science. The primary school has been working with the Nicholson River Landcare Group on a project to revegetate areas along the banks of the Nicholson River. The students are assisting the Landcare Group with preparing the sites and planting.

The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority and  Arthur Rylah Institute  have been undertaking water quality sampling in rivers affected by the bushfires. Monitoring will continue, but in late January 2020 after visits to the Bemm, the Tambo and the Snowy systems, all samples showed that the fish were doing great. 

It isn’t all about the Bass, Arthur Rylah Institute and the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s surveys in December 2021 brought in a number of species that call the Snowy River home. The purpose of surveys is to keep a long-term record of the types and numbers of fish living in our rivers. Over a long timeframe, data can help inform management decisions like fish stocking.

It wasn’t just a day out fishing! East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority's Bushfire Monitors worked with Arthur Rylah Institute as they did their fire impact surveys on the Snowy and Genoa Rivers in January 2022. These surveys are done to ensure we have a long-term dataset of numbers of species that live in these rivers. Big natural disasters such as fire can impact the number of species and abundance. It was good to see that a good representation of fish are still there after such a large fire event. Water quality monitoring is ongoing to give an indication of how the rivers and estuaries are recovering after fire.

In May 2022 East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority again worked with Arthur Rylah Institute and did some backpack electrofishing surveys in the Genoa River. Undertaken at a historical site under the Genoa Bridge, the survey looked at the whole fish community, including smaller fish species that live in this river. The data collected helps us understand how our native fish are recovering since the fires.

The results were encouraging, with nine species detected, including Short and Long-finned Eels, Tupong (Freshwater Flathead), Shortheaded Lamprey, Common Galaxias, Australian Smelt, and three species of gudgeon. In particular, young Common Galaxiids and Tupong were collected, indicating recruitment of these diadromous species (which migrate between freshwater and saltwater).

Since the bushfires, over 2,000 hectares of weed control has been undertaken in bushfire affected areas. The risk of weed invasion dramatically increases after fires, leading to new or more severe infestations of weeds and reduces the ability of native plants to recover. Native plants provide habitat for threatened species of fauna and flora. Selected watercourses affected by fire have been treated for willow, particularly targeting Salix cinerea. Salix cinerea willow is a seeding species, and watercourses provide perfect conditions for the seeds to germinate and quickly take over. With reduced canopy cover post fires, there is an increased risk of watercourses being susceptible to weed infestations.

Remote weed control targets emerging woody weeds along the headwaters of East Gippsland's waterways affected by fire, including the Far East, Snowy, Tambo and the Upper Mitchell catchment areas. Targeting weeds from the top down is about stopping weeds from spreading further down the catchment. These projects reduce the impact of high-threat weeds spreading in the region and contribute to the recovery of threatened flora species, critical habitat and significant ecological vegetation communities such as the Alpine Peatlands.

Local contractors are employed to get the job done. As well as undertaking a significant job, they get to see some exciting things. Whilst undertaking remote weed control, a highlight was sighting the critically endangered spotted tree frog, which hadn't been seen in the area since 2019.

Since the bushfires, the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority has worked with landholders to repair 103 kilometres of burnt fences. This fencing is important to protect our rivers from erosion, prevent spread of weeds and to keep stock away from the river. Fencing to protect vegetation is vital to improving and maintaining the health of rivers. Ongoing partnerships with local landholders are also integral to keeping our rivers healthy.

After lightening started fires in late November 2019, areas in the Tambo catchment were burning right up until January 2020.

A lot of vegetation was burnt along the Tambo River.  With burnt, fallen trees and ash lying along the riverbanks there is the potential for it to be washed into the river following thunderstorms.

Although this type of event is quite common following bushfires it can sometimes lead to further issues downstream when large loads of debris gets lodged within the river system on bends or infrastructure such as bridges.  It leaves the water looking dirty when mixed with ash and sludge causing a concern for the community in relation to water quality.

It can also cause a great deal of concern to already stressed landholders and community members who have dealt with drought for years followed by the devastating Black Summer fires.

In February 2020, the Tambo catchment bore another blow with a storm front that resulted in landslides of bushfire debris banking up at Battle Point, 7kms south of Ensay.

With the flow of the river severely restricted, the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority worked with DELWP to assess and resolve the situation.  Local contractors were brought in to remove 4,000 cubic metres of silt and fallen logs.

The debris was stockpiled in a containment area not far from the river at Wattle Circle.  With the log jam removed it enabled the water to flow freely and the banks once again resembling riverbanks were left to naturally regenerate.

The positive, particularly for the community, was to have the water flowing again.  The water will for some time look dirty from the ash and fire debris continuing to be washed in from the banks.  Over time the vegetation will grow, and the water will once again clear up. 

When a fire burns through bush and farmland it causes a whole range of devastation. Even when homes and infrastructure are saved often fencing is left charred and twisted with no hope of containing stock. Roaming stock is a loss for farmers but also a threat to waterways and vegetation recovering after fire. Containing stock is an important step in fire recovery works. The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority commenced recovery by checking in on landholders to ascertain their welfare as well as lend a helping hand to farmers that had lost fencing. This wasn’t just landholders who held existing agreements with the Authority but anyone that wanted help.

The Authority worked with landholders, community and partner agencies to repair and re-construct 103km fencing. The areas most impacted were the Nicholson, Buchan and Genoa Rivers. Landholders were appreciative of the quick acting work of the Authority, and the support provided. Bryan Hayden from Buchan Station said “we lost 90% of the pasture and fences at the back of our property as well as stock yards. We had enough to worry about post fires, including wandering stock, as well as the welfare of our community, so it was vital we get our fences up again without fuss and delays. We were grateful for the support from the East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority in getting this done.”

The recovery works are funded by the Victorian Government

The East Gippsland Catchment Management Authority had many bushfire recovery projects in full swing across East Gippsland following the fires.

One project that got off to a cool start during November 2020 was remote weed control, targeting weeds along the headwaters of the Dargo, Buchan and Wentworth Rivers.

With snow falling at Mount Hotham, Authority staff saw contractors off on their 95 kilometre walk down the Dargo River to Mayford treating emerging woody weeds in the areas impacted by the bushfires.

This project will reduce the impact of high threat weeds spreading in the region and contribute to the recovery of native vegetation that is critical habitat for other plants and animals.

The risk of weed invasion dramatically increases after fires, leading to new or more severe infestations of weeds and reducing the ability of native plants and habitats to recover.

This project is funded by the Victorian Government’s $17.5 million Bushfire Biodiversity Response and Recovery program.

Weed outbreaks are common following bushfires but it’s getting on top of them that is a major task in bushfire recovery. Our contractor crew at Habitat Creations were busy in early 2021 targeting weeds from the top down.

Supported by the Australian Government’s Bushfire recovery package for wildlife and their habitat, based at Mt. Hotham and taking daily trips into rough terrain in the Upper Dargo headwaters the contractors were targeting weeds along water courses adjacent to and within the fragile Alpine Peatlands.

The crew faced many challenges along the way including battling through thick regrowth making it slow going and a physical challenge each day. The crew agree, along with hard work, there are plenty of interesting things along the way such as awesome views, wildlife as well as the odd stray toboggan or snow board!

Following the bushfires, many people in fire-affected areas faced the problem of transforming weeds sprouting and thriving on their properties. These weeds can outcompete the native species, spreading thickly and altering the natural landscape. The Authority had contractors working on the Tambo River during August 2022, targeting weeds that flourished since the Black Summer bushfires.

Two weeds on the hit list along the Tambo River include Cape Ivy and Blue Periwinkle. Both are growing along the riverbanks, with Blue Periwinkle dominating the understory and excluding native species. Cape Ivy can climb up taller shrubs and trees, creating a vision of choking clumps as they grow up the host.

There is good news, though. Whilst the weeds enjoyed the wet season, so did many native plants and shrubs. On a stretch of the Tambo River where the weeds dominate, just a few kilometres away, multiple species of natives are growing successfully. Larger species are growing, creating the perfect canopy and safe place for smaller species to flourish. Over 15 species of native grasses, plants and trees were identified in one small section along the banks of the Tambo River.

Pioneer species such as Silver Wattle tend to grow quickly and in abundance following a fire, but there are advantages to this as they assist with soil stabilisation and create habitat for birds and insects whilst other natives recover and grow.

Getting on top of the sections where weeds dominate will give the native species a better chance of bouncing back.

Managing weeds can be time-consuming and costly, and sometimes difficult for people to identify when they suddenly appear in the garden. This is where a booklet produced by the East Gippsland Landcare Network comes in handy. This booklet aims to assist landholders with post-fire weed identification and management practices.

Anyone interested in obtaining a copy can contact the  Authority  or East Gippsland Landcare Network.

Targeting weeds on public land is made possible with Bushfire Recovery funds from the Victorian Government.