River Restoration Action Team
River Restoration Action Team
The River Restoration Action Team (River "RAT"s) is part of the Waterways Program. This is a group of officers who develop and provide technical advice to community groups to assist in the restoration and management of wetlands and rivers.
The River RATs provide this information through:
- Water Notes
- Water Facts
- the River Restoration Manual Series
- demonstration sites
- on-ground projects, where technical advice is provided
- River Restoration Training Workshops.
All community participants who attend the River Restoration Training Workshop automatically become Honorary River "RAT"s. Honorary River "RAT"s also assist the development of technical literature by providing feedback on what type of information is required within the community.
Support for On-ground Action & River Restoration
The River Restoration Action Team can offer the following services to community groups:
- Providing technical advice and support for projects that:
-conserve native vegetation along watercourses and their floodplain
-restore or rehabilitate in-stream habitat
-reduce disturbance to waterways
-revegetate degraded land along waterways
-protect and improve in-stream water quality
-monitor stream condition and evaluate the success of on-ground works. - Developing technical guidelines and manuals for river restoration and rehabilitation to meet local needs.
- Assisting groups to develop strategies and action plans aimed at, or including, the protection and enhancement of waterways. River restoration activities can include protection strategies, such as fencing out stock.
- Assisting the planning and implementation of river surveys.
- Training and demonstrating techniques used for planning, undertaking and evaluating river restoration works.
