A RIVERLAND national park will have improved support for plants and animals, plus potential tourism opportunities, thanks to the addition of new floodplain infrastructure.
The Department of Environment and Water (DEW) last month announced construction works on flood regulators and fishway structures at Katarapko had been completed.
DEW manager program co-ordination and development Dr Glenn Shimmin said effects of the infrastructure would include increased wildlife activity in the area and support for native vegetation.
“We expect to see a mosaic response, where some areas will respond very quickly and actually change quite remarkably,” Dr Shimmin said.
“You’ll see an establishment of red gums, or black box, relatively rapidly… and they will really flourish quickly.
“It’s about why we’ve built this infrastructure. It will take many years, if not decades to see the outcomes, but the construction and design phase has gone well.
“When we do put water on the floodplain we will immediately see a response from birds and frogs. That’s the immediate (effect) people can see.”
Dr Shimmin said the construction project – which began in November 2018 – generated employment opportunities for Riverlanders and benefits for local businesses.
“During the construction phase there has been 100 plus jobs in the region,” he said.
“Some of those have been people from Adelaide who have travelled up, but they’ve stayed in regional accommodation, bought the food and everything else.
“We’ve used a lot of sub-contractors locally, so we’ve been really happy to support the jobs market during construction.”
Dr Shimmin said future watering events at Katarapko could present unique eco-tourism opportunities for the region.
“Now we’re on the other side and we start to see conditions improve, hopefully it will be a better place for people to go camping and fishing,” he said.
“One would hope in the longer term, once we start to plan events, that we can turn managed inundation events into eco-tourism.
“People can get their canoes out and canoe across the floodplain. I think that’s an amazing experience we’ll be able to offer the community.”
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Tim Whetstone said the reopened park would help draw visitors to the region as COVID-19 restrictions eased.
“Katarapko is an important part of the Murray River National Park and is a key tourist destination for activities such as camping, bike riding, canoeing, walking and fishing,” Mr Whetstone said.
“The project will have great environmental, social and financial benefits, so it is welcome news that locals and visitors are once again able to visit the popular park.”
Dr Shimmin said construction projects on local floodplains are aimed at rehabilitating the larger Riverland ecosystem.
“There’s iconic floodplains which span Locks 4, 5 and 6,” he said.
“Once we establish this longitudinal connection that’s almost a continuous habitat for birds and fish, (it) connects those floodplains together.
“We start getting a really good area that’s protected in terms of national park status, and that’s also manageable in terms of the water we can get onto these floodplains to try and restore (their) health.”