News and Events

Coleambally Central School students embraced muddy boots and big smiles as they joined YACTAC on November 27th to plant native wetland species at the Leeds property, “Broome”, on the Yanco Creek. The students planted jointed twig rush, spike rush, and sedges to restore a backwater habitat.

YACTAC, with Refreshing Rivers and DPI Fisheries grants, released 25,714 golden perch fingerlings. Golden perch, also known as yellow belly, are a native species of the Murray Darling Basin. Once abundant, populations have suffered due to habitat degradation, invasive species and river regulation.

The Black Summer Bushfires had a huge impact – including on the iconic Platypus. Populations may have declined by up to 18%, but work is underway to understand Platypus population health and restore habitat.

Over the course of several events in late 2022 and early 2023, significant work has been undertaken to restore fish habitat on the Colombo Creek. Schoolkids helped plant trees, while a separate event was held to reduce carp numbers through electro-fishing.

You know you've hit on something big when farmers stop what they are doing, in one of the busiest months of the year, to keenly participate in a workshop. Interest in the African Boxthorn biocontrol pilot program demonstrated just how much of a problem Boxthorn is.

Let's get our hands dirty and prepare wetland plants onto growth mats! We do this to prepare them to be replanted into rivers and streams, to improve the health of our waterways.

Take part in the Platy-project and you’ll help researchers understand more about this elusive animal, and how we can better protect it..

We're hosting an introduction session to virtual fencing technology! Come and learn about virtual fencing, the pros and cons of the technology, and hear from one of the technology providers, Halter and a farmer in the early stages of adoption.

European carp (Cyprinus carpio) uproot vegetation, degrade habitat and reduce water quality, competing with native species for food and space. Come along to help us remove some of these carp from our local waterway.

Join the Refreshing Rivers team and Landcare under the clear, unspoilt night skies for an evening celebrating the beauty and importance of our nocturnal environment.

Dive into the fascinating world of freshwater mussels with Dr Nicole McCasker, mussel expert, from Charles Sturt University, and local cultural knowledge holder Ros Lockhart. This is a family-friendly event, so come along and help us discover more about these incredible creatures.

Creating a welcoming environment the "Women's Yarning Circle" event is for women of the Central Billabong to gather, collaborate, be creative, share stories (cultural, Indigenous and other), and lunch on the banks of the Billabong Creek near Jerilderie.

Join us for an evening wetland walk, talk and free bbq dinner. Friday March 8th 2024 5.30 pm - 8.30 pm Topics include: aquatic and riparian vegetation, environmental water in the Yanco Creek System, wetland fish, bats and rakali, frog identification and spotlight

YACTAC were out in the New Year on the Billabong Creek, Conargo, releasing 27,273 golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) fingerlings as part of the Refreshing Rivers Program which aims to improve local waterway health.

A final day of electrofishing targeting carp (Cyprinus carpio), on a five kilometre stretch of Billabong Creek, Conargo, occurred on December 20th, 2023. Carp once again proved to be the dominant fish with a tally of 266 kgs for one day on a 5 km stretch of creek.

Extreme low flows are pushing refuge pools to their limits. Heat, sediment, salinity and stock impacts are degrading water quality and threatening native fish. This article outlines what’s causing it and practical steps we can take to protect our waterways.

Courtesy of the Refreshing Upper Billabong project, we have a limited number of tubestock suitable for planting both instream and along creek banks to reduce erosion and create habitat.

We lacked information on the aquatic wildlife of the Upper Billabong catchment, so using Citizen Science - the Refreshing Rivers iNaturalist project and eDNA tests, we have gathered 1,672 observations across the catchment and also completed 9 eDNA profiles in local waterways.

Let's get our hands dirty and prepare wetland plants onto growth mats! We do this to prepare them to be replanted into rivers and streams, to improve the health of our waterways.

We're hosting an introduction session to virtual fencing technology! Come and learn about virtual fencing, the pros and cons of the technology, and hear from one of the technology providers, Halter and a farmer in the early stages of adoption.

David Bray and Louise Freckleton are stewards of Highfield Farm and Woodland, a 335 Ha property near Adelong in the eastern Riverina. Highfield blends conservation of critically endangered Box‑gum grassy woodland with a small‑scale paddock‑to‑plate enterprise and a thriving ecotourism operation.

Waterways such as creeks, rivers, wetlands and riparian corridors are biodiversity hotspots. Many species relying on these areas are highly vulnerable to feral cat predation.

Join the Refreshing Rivers team and Landcare under the clear, unspoilt night skies for an evening celebrating the beauty and importance of our nocturnal environment.

The Refreshing Rivers project is offering a pilot project to deliver low-cost waterway solutions for landholders on the Yaven Creek.

Through the Refreshing Rivers Program, we are looking for landholders with farm dams, gravel pits or wetlands, who are interested in establishing refuge "arks" for this rare species of fish.