Enhancing biodiversity on Boomerang Creek

On the winding banks of Boomerang Creek, two neighbouring landholders are teaming up with OzFish and Whian Whian Landcare to create a waterway that supports native fish, healthy farms, and resilient ecosystems.

Together, they’ll restore 1.8 hectares of riparian zone, replanting degraded land with native trees, grasses, and shrubs to bring the creek back to life.

The project is also set to host three community planting days to involve nearby landholders, Landcare volunteers, and OzFish members, creating a ripple effect of awareness, action, and stewardship that stretches well beyond the river’s banks.

Reviving a creek rich in life

Boomerang Creek may be a quiet country stream, but it’s teeming with life, including some of the most diverse native fish communities in the catchment. Aquatic surveys by DPI have recorded over a dozen species in the area over the past decade, including Australian bass, freshwater catfish, crimson-spotted rainbowfish, shortfin and longfin eels, and a variety of gudgeons.

Recreational fishers regularly report catching bass, bream, mullet, and catfish further downstream, and historical records point to nearby Rocky Creek as one of the last local strongholds of the Eastern Freshwater Cod. Restoring these stretches isn’t just about trees.

It’s about rebuilding whole ecosystems. These habitats support fish, frogs, insects, birds, and clean water for all of us.

Two sites, one vision

The first site is a 1-hectare section that sits along a key tributary of Boomerang Creek. Once a cattle paddock, it’s now a macadamia farm shifting towards more sustainable practices. Volunteers will remove invasive grasses and woody weeds, then plant 2,500 native species to reconnect the riparian zone.

So far, an area of approximately 3ha has already been restored along Boomerang Creek, connecting to the existing Big Scrub remnant rainforest. Further upstream, the second property will host another planting of 500 natives and maintain zones already under restoration.

This area includes 1km of riparian frontage and covers 2.5 hectares, creating a vital link between existing habitat and recent planting work, which will strengthen the whole waterway.

Growing community connections

Three planting events will bring the wider community onto the land throughout the project. These hands-on days also include informal education sessions where local landholders can learn how to plan, fund, and deliver similar restoration efforts on their own properties.

With the help of Whian Whian Landcare, these days are designed to upskill, inspire, and keep momentum flowing long after the final tree goes in the ground.

This project is part of the broader Landcare NSW and OzFish Unlimited partnership — a program designed to build stronger communities through habitat restoration and long-term environmental recovery. With hundreds of trees ready to go and community support growing, the transformation of Boomerang Creek is well and truly underway.

Want to be part of the change? Find out how to get involved and upcoming events for the Richmond Chapter.

This project is in collaboration with NSW Landcare with funding from the OzFish-Landcare NSW partnership and BCF – Boating, Camping, Fishing.