It supplies Coffs Harbour’s drinking water, shelters the endangered Eastern Freshwater Cod, and draws swimmers, anglers, and kayakers. Now the Orara River has a fresh 10-year plan to keep its recovery on track.
City of Coffs Harbour Council unanimously adopted the Orara River Rehabilitation Strategy 2026-2036 at its meeting on Thursday, 22 October, replacing the previous strategy.
The draft roadmap was strengthened after public exhibition, with the community overwhelmingly backing the strategy and its vision. Water quality, healthy vegetation, and wildlife were seen as key assets.
As a result, the strategy now:
- recognises the NSW Government’s Plan for Nature as a key strategic driver
- includes a new action to support local Aboriginal bush regeneration teams working on sites with known or predicted Aboriginal cultural heritage
- expands its approach to attracting financial and in-kind investment from all levels of government and private industry.
It also brings more adaptive management for threats, stronger support for Aboriginal-led restoration and education activities, and a renewed push to grow the project with extra investment from government, industry, and private partners.
“The Orara is a critically important river system for our community, environment and economy,” said City of Coffs Harbour Mayor Nikki Williams.
The river system is the main catchment for Coffs Harbour’s drinking water. It supports significant biodiversity, including the Eastern Freshwater Cod and many threatened plants and animals.
Williams said the changes would help the strategy reflect current environmental priorities, while recognising the importance of river health to the community and drawing on Aboriginal knowledge and stewardship.
“These additions strengthen an already comprehensive strategy by recognising the role of the NSW Government’s Plan for Nature, supporting opportunities for Aboriginal-led regeneration work, and reinforcing the importance of partnerships and investment to achieve long-term outcomes,” Williams said.
The recovery effort goes back almost three decades. Local Rivercare groups set up a rehabilitation program for the Orara in 1998, leading to the formation of the Orara Valley Rivercare Groups Management Committee, which still oversees the project today.
The City joined in 2000 and has since worked with government agencies, community groups, and landholders to improve the river’s health.
“The Orara River Rehabilitation Project is one of the longest-running river health initiatives in Australia and its success has always relied on strong partnerships,” said City Communities and Planning Director Ian Fitzgibbon.
The project covers almost half of all waterways in the Coffs Harbour Local Government Area. It began in response to falling water quality caused by historical gravel extraction, land clearing, and erosion.
Over the past 28 years, weed control, bush regeneration, erosion management, and landholder education have delivered big gains. More than 200 landholders have taken part, setting aside riparian land along waterways to improve river and riverbank health.
But the fight is far from over. The strategy flags ongoing threats from invasive weeds, floods, and catchment management pressures, and calls for continued investment in revegetation, livestock exclusion fencing, erosion control, environmental monitoring, and community education.
The project is funded each year from sources including the City’s Environmental Levy, the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, and the National Landcare Program.
Fitzgibbon said the changes reflect both new priorities and lessons learned from decades of on-ground work.
“The updated strategy places greater emphasis on pursuing funding, resources and collaborative support from all levels of government and private industry, ensuring we can continue delivering on-ground improvements and environmental outcomes across the catchment,” Fitzgibbon said.
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