Volunteers will work with the Eurobodalla Green Army and environmental rangers from Mogo Local Aboriginal Land Council to place sandbags and new plantings downstream of Jack Buckley Park. 

Eurobodalla Shire Council’s environment team will guide the crews.

The council’s Environmental Services Manager Deb Lenson says the work will be carried out in two stages, and would build on a similar project last year, undertaken behind the Tomakin River Tourist Park. 

“The first stage will take around two weeks and see sandbags installed out from the base of the eroded bank to immediately prevent any further erosion and allow the bank to build up behind them,” Ms Lenson said.

“To finish the first phase, low growing native plants will be planted at the top of the bank to increase the strip of native vegetation and support the bank where weed control has recently taken place.”

Ms Lenson said Mogo Local Aboriginal Land Council environmental rangers, who worked on the project last year, will be passing on their skills and knowledge to the Tomakin Coastcare volunteers and the Eurobodalla Green Army team. 

“It’s a great partnership, with fantastic benefits for the environment and for our young people, who are learning new skills and putting them to work locally,” Ms Lenson said. 

“The volunteers get their hands dirty and enjoy making a difference on their local patch.”

The second stage of the project will take place in late summer, when mangrove seedlings will be planted on the water-side of the sandbags to reduce the wash that creates erosion.

Ms Lenson says the mangroves not only helped with erosion, they helped maintain water quality by filtering silt from runoff and recycling nutrients.

“Mangroves are an important habitat for fish, crabs, birds and other animals, providing large amounts of organic matter that is eaten by many small aquatic animals,” Ms Lenson said.

“In turn, these animals provide food for larger fish and other animals.”

Council says kayak and pedestrian access to the water would not be restricted, as all works would occur downstream from the existing access area. 

The project was recommended in Council’s Tomaga Estuary Coastal Zone Management Plan. 

This plan was developed in 2014, with input from the community and was endorsed by the council in February. 

The project is funded by South East Local Land Services under its “Realise the Potential of Wetlands Project”, which aims to protect and restore priority wetlands on the NSW South Coast.