Welcome To Richmond River County Council
The management of natural resources on the Richmond River coastal floodplain is a complex relationship of programs, organisations and funding. Current issues include drainage, acid sulfate soils, floodgate management, water quality monitoring, estuary management and wetlands management. These are being addressed by a range of works, trials, demonstrations, research and planning activities by many organisations working on the floodplain.
The Richmond Floodplain Committee (RFC) was established by Richmond River County Council with the support of local Councils and State agencies in November 2000 to ‘coordinate natural resource management activities and projects on the floodplain in partnership with Councils, State government and the community’. The management of natural resources on the estuary and floodplain presents great challenges and needs long-term community and government support.
Over a number of years the RFC membership have implemented on-ground works to enhance wetlands, reduce drainage density, monitor water quality and reduce chonic acidification of waterways in dry times through controlled tidal flushing. The Estuary Management Committee engaged Hydrosphere Consulting to complete the estuary management study and planning process. The Plan was placed on public exhibition for two months and the final report was adopted by Lismore City, Ballina Shire, Richmond Valley and Richmond River County councils late in 2011. The Richmond Estuary Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) was then certified by the Minister for Environment and Heritage in December 2011 and gazetted in February 2012. The Richmond River Estuary CZMP is the first to be certified and gazetted under the new provisions of the Coastal Protection Act of NSW. The CZMP provides a blueprint for the long-term sustainable management of the Richmond River estuary.
Further information:
RFC and RRCC’s natural resource management activities (NRM).
The Executive Summary of Richmond River Estuary Processes Study.
Check water quality information from dataloggers on Google Earth.
