OzFish’s Sunraysia River Repair Bus’s was celebrated yesterday evening as OzFish seeks to further its habitat restoration work along the Murray River. The event was held at Café 1909 at Mildura and saw leading natural resource managers, partner groups and volunteers gather to celebrate the successes of the bus after its first year on the road. This is OzFish’s second River Repair Bus which commenced work in the catchment in 2020 and has been working with the wider community to improve the health and productivity of native fish populations.

Wetlands, rivers and billabongs of the Mallee region will now have a fulltime River Repair Bus tending to the local waterways thanks to fishing conservation charity OzFish officially unveiling the bus to the community today. The OzFish River Repair Bus is set to commence work 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year undertaking habitat restoration work which will include rubbish and weed removal, revegetation and improve instream habitat of local waterways. The converted 12-seater bus and heavy-duty trailer is a first for the Sunraysia region based off a successful concept in Dubbo, Western NSW. It will additionally provide 35 unemployed locals an opportunity to gain unique skills and experience in environmental management and prepare them for future employment.

The Sunraysia region is set to receive significant support over the coming years with the setup of a locally based OzFish River Repair Bus. The bus, was recently awarded funding by a Federal Government 2020 Murray Darling Basin Economic Development grant. It will provide an opportunity for up to 35 participants per year to gain unique skills in hands-on river restoration and prepare them for future employment.