The Kyogle Weir and Fishway project is a brilliant example of cross-government cooperation between Kyogle Council, NSW Public Works, DPI Fisheries, Infrastructure NSW and NSW Environmental Trust.  Kyogle Council recently won two different environmental awards for the project, the NSW Local Government’s Excellence in the Environment Award and the Habitat and Wildlife Guardianship Award as part of the Keep NSW Beautiful Blue Star Sustainability Awards.

The existing infrastructure, sited on the Richmond River in close proximity to the township of Kyogle, was constructed in the 1930’s and was due an upgrade.  The weir is used to provide a small dam for the raw water supply pumps to the Kyogle water treatment plant.  As part of the augmentation, NSW Department of Primary Industries - Fisheries provided additional funding for the modification of the existing weir to allow for fish friendly passage.  Removal of this weir opens up approximately 1,500km of in land streams for fish habitat.

The fishway has created a passage for more than 26 native fish species to move upstream by converting the existing water supply weir into a ramp with a gradual slope of five per cent.  It has opened up approximately 1,500 km of inland streams, allowing native fish to cross the weir to spawn, feed and seek refuge in the upper reaches of the Richmond River.  NSW Public Works' innovative design allowed the structure to be constructed in challenging conditions and at half the cost of traditional fishways and was specifically designed to minimise ongoing maintenance requirements.

NSW Public Works were involved throughout the project, including designing weir modifications, and management of the tender and construction activities.