Project Update - October 2026

The Upper Richmond River Waterway and Wetland Health Assessment and Action Plan were adopted at the Council's Ordinary Meeting 12 October 2026.

The final reports and supporting literature are available here and we encourage you to dive into the reports to learn more about our waterways and wetlands and what we can do to improve the health of our upper catchment. Also available on this site is an interactive map, providing access to the health assessment findings and a range of supporting resource materials.

For the purposes of this study, a 'healthy' waterway and wetland is defined as one in which ecosystem functions are being supported. Based on this definition, the assessment focused on geomorphology characteristics (a rivers character and behaviour) and riparian vegetation.

The study area is broken into ten subcatchments representing the major tributaries of the upper catchment: Richmond River, Findon Creek, Gradys Creek, Lynchs Creek, Fawcetts Creek, Leycester Creek, Eden Creek (upstream of Iron Pot Creek), Eden Creek (downstream of Iron Pot Creek), Iron Pot Creek and Shannon Brook. For each there is a catchment context, the key values to protect, the key threats or pressures impacting waterway/wetland health and priority management actions.

The catchment is experiencing pressures from climate change, ongoing land use impacts, sediment pollution and invasive species.