Molonglo River Rescue

Action Plan (Download...)

Executive Summary

The Molonglo River is an iconic river, flowing through New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, and forming the centrepiece of Canberra in Lake Burley Griffin. The Molonglo River lies within the Upper Murrumbidgee River Catchment, and is a major contributor to the water quality and biodiversity of the Murrumbidgee River.

The Molonglo River has been highly modified. Water quality is often poor, exhibiting high nutrient and sediment loads, as well as heavy metal pollution from previous mining activities. The riparian zone, like much of the catchment, has been extensively modified, and in many places it is subject to considerable infestations from Willows and other woody weeds. Despite this, the river is home to a number of endangered ecological communities as well as numerous threatened species including the largest known population of the vulnerable Pink-tailed Worm-lizard (Aprasia parapulchella), the threatened Murray Cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) and Macquarie Perch (Macquaria australasica), and the only known population of the endangered Green and Golden Bell Frog (Litoria aurea) in the Southern Tablelands. Consequently, the Molonglo River has high conservation values and requires immediate and long-term attention to rehabilitate and restore riparian vegetation and water quality, now and into the future.

This Action Plan describes the river profile including:

• The historic condition of the Molonglo River;
• Land use and recreation;
• People, including population growth and land use changes, and indigenous heritage;
• Water discharge and flow;
• Geology, soils and geomorphology;
• Climate; and
• Biodiversity including flora, fauna, threatened species, connectivity and areas of high conservation value.

The Plan then describes existing and future threats to the Molonglo River including:

• Declining water quality (from heavy metal leachate, eutrophication, erosion and sedimentation);
• Habitat destruction and urban expansion;
• Invasive species (plants and animals);
• Water extraction and low flows;
• Salinity;
• Climate change; and
• Key knowledge gaps.

The Action Plan identifies nine reaches along the entire Molonglo River:

• Reach One - Headwaters south of Captains Flat to Hoskinstown Road
  Reach One begins at the headwaters in Tallaganda National Park in NSW south of the township of Captains Flat, to the where the river is crossed by the Hoskinstown Road bridge approximately 20 kilometres north of Captains Flat.
• Reach Two - Hoskinstown Road to Briars Sharrow Road
  This reach is approximately 17 kilometres in length and incorporates the Hoskinstown (or Carwoola) Plain, from Hoskinstown Road north of Captains Flat to where the river is crossed by Briars Sharrow Road, west of Hoskinstown.
• Reach Three - Briars Sharrow Road to Burbong Bridge
  Reach Three extends from Briars Sharrow Road in Hoskinstown to the Burbong Bridge where the Kings Highway crosses the Molonglo River west of Queanbeyan. This reach is approximately 14 kilometres long and represents the final section of the River to occur in NSW.
• Reach Four - Burbong Bridge to Molonglo Gorge
  This reach is approximately 10 kilometres long and extends from Burbong Bridge on the Kings Highway to the eastern end of the Molonglo Gorge.
• Reach Five - Molonglo Gorge
  Molonglo Gorge occurs downstream of Burbong, flanked by Kowen Forest, and is managed by Parks, Conservation and Lands.
• Reach Six - Molonglo Gorge to Lake Burley Griffin
  This reach begins at the western end of the Molonglo Gorge, through Queanbeyan and Fyshwick until the River meets Lake Burley Griffin in the centre of Canberra. This reach is approximately 17 kilometres in length.
• Reach Seven - Lake Burley Griffin Precinct
  This reach includes the 664 ha lake and 40.5 kilometres of foreshore and is managed by the National Capital Authority (NCA) for recreation and amenity.
• Reach Eight - Scrivener Dam to the Lower Molonglo River Corridor Nature Reserve
  This reach is approximately 10 kilometres long, beginning at Scrivener Dam at the western end of Lake Burley Griffin and extending to the Lower Molonglo River Corridor Nature Reserve at Coppins Crossing.
• Reach Nine - Lower Molonglo River Corridor Nature Reserve
  This reach begins at Coppins Crossing until the confluence with the Murrumbidgee River approximately 16 kilometres north-west of Canberra.

The Action Plan highlights opportunities for the rehabilitation of the Molonglo River through best practice management, community engagement and partnerships between government, business, landholders, interested community organisations and others within the following priority reaches: Reach One, Two, Three, Four, Six and Eight.

Riparian restoration activities proposed include staged weed removal, fencing and exclusion of stock, off-stream watering points and revegetation. The Plan also highlights other opportunities such as recreational improvements, improvement of habitat for flora and fauna, storm-water management, community education and engagement, and engagement with the development and business sector.

Finally, the Plan describes a proposed monitoring program to ensure actions implemented are successful and I or adapted as necessary. Monitoring includes community-focussed activities like Waterwatch, Frogwatch and Platypus Count. Waterwatch and revegetation sites will also include appropriate photo points to track progress. Asocial survey including a program to monitor community attitude change to the river and restoration works is also proposed.

Rivers are an integral part of the landscape and their appropriate management is necessary to maintain all the assets that they provide. The Molonglo River is the key water course running through urban Canberra and its restoration must form part of any vision for the city which prides itself on being the "Bush Capital".

Download

The Action Plan can be downloaded ( 7.1MB) and is available from the MCG Office.

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Last modified: 23/07/2010