Building a healthier riverbank at Moruya

Just upstream from where the Moruya River meets the Deua, a quiet revolution is taking place.

Volunteers from the OzFish Eurobodalla Chapter recently joined forces with Upper Deua Landcare for a hands-on planting event at Stepping Stone Farm. This is a unique site with deep roots in sustainability, education, and community food resilience.

The event brought together a dozen dedicated volunteers to enhance the health of the river’s riparian zone, planting mature bottlebrush trees, rushes, and grasses along a key fence line that connects the farm and the river. Together, they’ve set the stage for a stronger, more diverse habitat corridor connecting the waterway to the surrounding native bushland.

Farming for fish and nature

Stepping Stone Farm isn’t your average plot of land. It’s a project of SAGE NSW – a not-for-profit group working to improve local food security through organic farming, education, and cooperative community programs. Their commitment to ecological stewardship makes the farm an ideal partner for this type of habitat restoration.

“They’re here to grow more than just food,” said Ryan Lungu, the OzFish program manager for NSW Coastal. “It’s clear they want to restore the land too, from the soil beneath their feet to the banks of the river that gives it life.”

Bottlebrush boost for the riverbank

To support this vision, OzFish volunteers contributed mature Callistemons – commonly known as bottlebrush – a hardy Australian native that plays a vital role in riparian ecosystems. These trees are beloved by birds, insects, and fish, offering shelter, shade, and structure that improves habitat quality across land and water.

Hundreds of additional native grasses and rushes were also planted to help stabilise the soil and filter runoff before it reaches the river. It’s about creating a living buffer between farmland and the river. The more diversity we add to this stretch, the better chance it has to thrive long-term.

Planting partnerships that work

This planting day is part of a broader push to protect and restore fish habitat across the state. It’s supported through a long-running partnership between OzFish and Landcare NSW.

This collaboration brings passionate landholders, farmers, fishers, and conservationists together to heal degraded waterways and support native species. Efforts like these may not grab headlines, but their impact is real – for fish, farmers, and the future of rivers like the Moruya.

Want to get involved in your local OzFish chapter? Head to ozfish.org.au to learn more and register your interest in upcoming habitat restoration events near you.