The resilience of the Hawkesbury River is being improved by the planting of mangroves along its foreshore.
Julian Leeser, Member for Berowra, announced that the Morrison Government has given $18,000 to Hornsby Council for the project. The project will cost $30,000 in total, with the rest being paid by Council.
“This program is all about harnessing the passion of community organisations and councils to deliver practical local projects that directly improve our local environment,” said Julian Leeser MP.
“This is an extremely important initiative and we are very grateful for the federal assistance,” Hornsby Shire Mayor Philip Ruddock said.
Council will use the money to propagate and plant mangroves along the Hawkesbury River. The project will create habitat for fish, protect the foreshore from erosion by retaining river sediments and improve foreshore amenity.
“This project will not only enhance the Hawkesbury River’s natural beauty but also assist in maintaining a clean and resilient waterway,” Mr Leeser said.
“The great challenge here is not the planting, but growing the mangroves in pots,” Mayor Ruddock said.
“This has never been done before in the Hawkesbury and we are relying heavily on advice from community groups such as RiverWatch in the Shoalhaven.”
This project will also contribute to global blue carbon storage, as carbon stocks build up in mangrove areas from the accumulation of organic matter such as dead leaves and branches. Planting mangroves along the estuary will be an innovative way for community and Council to increase the ‘salty feet’ bush canopy whilst protecting and investing in the environmental future of the Hawkesbury River.
The Morrison Government is investing more than $22 million in the Communities Environment Program to support local environmental projects in every electorate across Australia, with grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 per project.
For more information about the programme, visit https://www.environment.gov.au/cep
