Labor confirms that it won’t raise the Warragamba Dam wall
On 19 April, the new NSW Water Minister Rose Jackson confirmed Labor’s pre-election promise to not raise the wall. Labor says it will look for other solutions to protect development on the Hawkesbury/Nepean regions downstream of the dam. “Labor’s position is clear — we have always opposed the raising of the Warragamba dam wall. The project will not guarantee communities in Western Sydney will be safe from flood events,” she said.
Prior to the NSW elections, Chris Minns criticised the Liberal/NP government’s plans to double residential development on the floodplain.
The plan has been under attack for many years, with conservationists and other groups’ concerns that part of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area would be flooded, the flooding of Aboriginal sites and artefacts, and loss of habitat for critically endangered species.
Some of the alternative solutions mooted included building levies, securing evacuation routes and improvement to flood forecasting, emergency communications and management.
In 2022 the then-Premier Dominic Perrottet said his government would go ahead with the project, even if the federal government did not help fund the project, but at the time Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek claimed the NSW government had never raised the issue.
NSWCFA Interclub Meet 2023 Report
The Central Coast Fly Rodders (CCFR) ran the 2023 Interclub Meet on behalf of the NSWCFA from 17-19 March 2023.
Based at the Scone AFC clubroom on the shores of Lake Glenbawn NSW, the venue was the first in the 20 year history of the Interclub Meet to be held at a new location. Another first was the inclusion of competitions in lure fishing and casting. Club teams competed in fly and lure fishing in Lake Glenbawn and surrounding streams and in fly and skish (plug) casting events.
Club teams competing inlcuded:
Central Coast Fly Rodders (15 members)
Sydney Fly Rodders (4 members)
Hastings Fly Fishing Club (1 member)
The Barrington Club (1 member)
Orange Trout Accl Soc (1 member)
Canberra Anglers Assoc (1 member)
The Interclub lunch and casting comps were run on the Saturday following the first session of the fishing competition. Sunday brunch and presentations were provided after the second session of the fishing competition.
Because of the variation of team size, the best four personal scores from each of the CCFR and SFR teams were averaged to provide the club team score. The club team point scores were:
CCFR: 21.5
HFCC: 15
BC: 9
CAA: 9
SFR: 8.5
OTAS: 0
The previous perpetual trophy was retired and the winner of the inaugural John Humphries Memorial Shield for Best Club Team was Central Coast Fly Rodders. The winner of the ‘best fish’ perpetual trophy was Richard Hassall (CCFR) with a 75 cm carp caught on fly in Rouchel Brook.
Individual angler competition results were:
Best Fly Fisher: 1st Richard Hassall (CCFR) – 20 points, 2nd Mal Holden 16 pts (CCFR), 3rd Radge Diakiw (SFR) and Dave Witham (CCFR) – 10 pts.
Best Lure Fisher: Dave Witham (CCFR) – 10 pts
Best Fly Caster: 1st Ian Andrews (SFR), 2nd Col Breese (CCFR), 3rd Roy Browne (CCFR).
Best Skish Caster: 1st Brad Heathcote (CCFR), 2nd Roy Browne (CCFR), 3rd Ian Andrews (SFR).
Funds raised for the NSWCFA, mainly from the raffle and silent auctions, are likely be in the region of $1,300.
Donors
CCFR (John Humphries Memorial Shield)
The Barrington Club (2 nights Accommodation/Guiding prize)
Peter Gibson (Book: Speckled Success, signed)
Jeff Medhurst (Fly Fishing Book)
West Gosford Bait and Tackle (2xFly Lines, $150)
BCF West Gosford - Dianne Neeves (Lures-Approx value $600)
Sydney Fly Rodders ($100 BCF Voucher)
Dave Witham (Flies, 2xSpin Rods)
Roy Browne (Penn Spin Rod)
Rolf Quaas (Flies-Approx value $100))
Phil Burton (Flies)
John Robb (Fly Boxes)
Steve Tizard (Tackle Boxes)
Ken Colmer (Bush Pop Cod Lures)
Thank you to the CCFR committee and to the CCFR workers who toiled in the months prior and during the Interclub. Thank you to our generous donors and to Charles Atkin who vigorously promoted the stream angler access points in the area.
Although the number attending was low and the daily temp was about 38 degrees for each of the three days, the Meet was embraced enthusiastically. The skish (lure) casting proved to be very popular although the lure fishing not so. All of the clubs competing were fly fishing clubs and in future more work needs to be done to encourage lure fishing clubs to attend.
John Robb
CCFR Interclub Committee
Radge Diakiw (NSWCFA) (left) presenting the inaugural John Humphries Memorial Shield to Dave Witham (CCFR) for Best Club Team, Interclub 2023.
Interclub 2023 attendees, Lake Glenbawn.
Sydney Water fined for 2021 Parramatta River fish kill
Sydney Water has been ordered to pay $347,000 plus legal costs by the NSW Environment Protection Authority after a fish kill at Homebush’s Powell Creek, Arnotts Reserve, Parramatta River in 2021.Three to five million litres of untreated sewage flowed into the creek at Homebush and the Parramatta River after an eroded sewer pipe ruptured, leading to a major fish kill.
The creek and a nearby reserve had to be closed to the public for several weeks.
NSW Environment Protection Authority executive director Steve Beaman said the incident occurred from a break in a Sydney Water main pipe which had eroded in early 2021.
Sydney Water has been ordered to pay $347,100 for remedial works at Sydney Olympic Park and the Mason Park Wetlands at Homebush. They also have been ordered to pay the EPA’s legal costs of about $28,000.
Tara Moriarty announced as new Minister responsible for Fisheries
The Hon Tara Moriarty, MLC, has been announced as the new NSW Agriculture Minister (which covers Fisheries). She has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 2019, representing the Australian Labor Party.
She was Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Crown Lands 2019-2021 and Shadow Minister for Corrections, Juvenile Justice and Medical Research 2021 until recently. She is Senior Vice President NSW Labor and a Member ALP National Executive.
Snowy Hydro and contractor fined $30,000 after two incidents in Kosciuszko National Park
The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) is reminding operators based within or around National Parks to ensure robust controls are in place to protect the environment or prepare to face serious regulatory action.
The warning comes after Snowy Hydro Limited and their contractor WeBuild were each issued with a $15,000 penalty notice by the EPA following two alleged pollution incidents in the Kosciuszko National Park.
The NSW EPA alleges inadequate sediment and erosion controls were established despite warnings by officers. As a result, a sediment plume stretched for more than two kilometres down Yarrangobilly River, and Nungar Creek was separately impacted by sediment laden water from roadworks at Tantangara.
NSW EPA Executive Director Regulatory Operations, Carmen Dwyer said that all EPA licensed operators are expected to act with environmental responsibility and this standard is especially important in delicate ecosystems.
“The environment around these local waterways in the Kosciuszko National Park contains highly specialised plants, animals and micro-organisms and is home to a number of endangered species like the smoky mouse and the Alpine Tree Frog,” Ms Dwyer said.
“Actions like this can severely impact the environment not just now but for years to come and can be detrimental to many species.
“These incidents simply should not have occurred. Every industry has a role to play in reducing their impact, but your role is even more critical when you’re based in one of our state’s most pristine environments.
The NSW EPA investigation found Snowy Hydro and WeBuild failed to adequately implement specific measures at the two locations within the park required to address potential pollution incidents.
EPA officers will continue to monitor the construction project closely given the sensitive nature of the Alpine environment.
Massive prosecution in Victoria for 12 tonnes of illegal golden perch
A joint investigation by the Victorian Fisheries Authority and NSW DPI Fisheries has resulted in the most significant penalty relating to a freshwater species in Victoria in the last 20 years.
The investigation found that between 2017 and 2019, a 40-year-old man had illegally netted almost 12 tonnes of golden perch from the Darling River and sold them on 56 occasions for a total of $205,600.
The man was convicted by a NSW court for illegally netting fish from the Darling River and a Victorian court for selling them to a wholesaler in Melbourne.
Victorian Fisheries Authority Director of Education and Enforcement Ian Parks said that the joint operation has successfully disrupted and dismantled the illegal take of native fish from inland waterways.
“The unauthorised use of mesh nets is a danger to fish and wildlife, and seafood caught in this way can be a health risk to consumers. This remains a high priority for Fisheries Officers in both states,” Mr Parks said.
If you see or suspect illegal fishing in Victoria, call the 24/7 reporting service, 13FISH (133474), to speak directly to a Fisheries Officer. You can remain anonymous.
EPA now looking into Menindee fish kill as pollution incident
It’s been about a month since the massive fish kill on the Darling River at Menindee, and after initially testing the river for traces of more than 600 chemicals, and finding none, further testing has since been carried out with results expected later this month.
The NSW EPA has now confirmed it will investigate it whether pollution had any role in the fish kill.
About 20 million fish, mainly native bony bream, are estimated to have died after oxygen levels in the river fell close to zero.
The investigation by the EPA is separate to an independent inquiry the state government has promised.
The agencies involved in the response and clean up have been criticised for their handling of testing immediately after the event, when water quality testing apparently was not done until six days later. Monitoring equipment that could have forewarned about the fish kill in the Darling River had been rendered unreliable by last year’s floods. Water gauges at several points along the river near the far western NSW town of Menindee were knocked out in November, and real-time river flow data was taken offline for months.
Invasive parasite found in native fish
Researchers from Charles Sturt University, the Department of Primary Industries and Narrandera Fisheries have found extensive evidence of a parasite freshwater fish across NSW. The parasite Eustrongylides excisus can burrow into the gut of infected humans, although cooking fish can reduce or remove the chance of infection. The parasite has also been found to have killed native birds.
Shokoofeh Shamsi, a professor in veterinary parasitology at Charles Sturt University, said the parasite was found inside Murray cod, galaxiids and trout cod.
The researchers found the parasite completed its life cycle in three different animals.
"That includes a small invertebrate in the water, that we still don't know what it is, then it goes to the fish," Professor Shamsi said.
"Then when birds eat the fish, birds get the infection and when the bird defecates, the eggs of the parasite goes to the water, goes to the tiny invertebrates and the life cycle continues."
Professor Shamsi said if humans consumed infected fish and became infected with the parasite, it could burrow in the gut and behave similarly to how it did in native birds, although there have been no known human deaths from the parasite.
Most knowledge on the invasive parasite has come from places such as the United States and Africa.
Reminders
Next meeting of NSW CFA
The next quarterly general meeting of the NSWCFA will be on Saturday 20 May at 10.00 am via Zoom. Notices and agenda etc will be sent to delegates and members prior to the meeting.
Thank you to our Foundation Members
These Foundation Members have generously made a special financial contribution to the NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers in the interests of all freshwater anglers in NSW.
Australian Trout Foundation, Damian Balfour, The Barrington Club, Don Barton, Bill Blair, Ken Chapman, David Connon, David Copperthwaite, Richard Cottam, Radge Diakiw, Fred Dunford, Dan Frogan, Stefan Fuchs, Peter Gibson, Michael Hall, William Hall, John Harris, Max Harris, Kevin Kai, James Mackie, Rob Marich, Peter Mason, Neil McAully, Harry Melkonian, Mark Newton, NSW Rod Fishers' Society, David Pinsent, Wayne Power, Greg Prowse, Ian Roache, Don Salter, Paul Sanders, Joe Searl, David Sheers, Bob Stevenson, Mike Timbrell, David Tinworth, Steve Tizard.
Freshwater anglers are invited to make a special contribution to the NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers (NSWCFA) in the interests of all freshwater anglers in NSW.
You will be well aware of the challenges freshwater anglers face in sustaining the freshwater fishery in NSW, especially regarding the preservation of angler access. The NSWCFA constantly strives to overcome those challenges but we need your financial support to meet the costs of that work.
We are appealing to members who can afford to make a small extra annual contribution to become NSWCFA Foundation Members to help meet our operating costs. Foundation Membership is just $25 per year—less than the cost of a NSW fishing licence.
Foundation Members are recognised on a special page in the NSWCFA website and at the foot of NSWCFA newsletters.
Your contribution will help meet the cost of hiring meeting venues across NSW and out-of-pocket expenses for committee members who attend meetings on your behalf (such as train, taxi, bus and parking). Your contributions will also be used for the production of our monthly email newsletters, which are sent to hundreds of members, for stationery, copying, postage, internet and telephone costs, insurance to cover the personal liability of committee members, affiliation fees to the Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW and corporate return filing fees.
Click here for website with payment form and PayPal link.
NSW Angler Access website
The NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has launched the Angler Access website, which provides thousands of locations across inland NSW where rivers, streams and lakes can be legally accessed for fishing. DPI worked with the NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers, over the past six months to fine tune the site. The website provides recreational fishers an easy-to-use map showing more than 4,000 verified sites to fish for native species including Murray cod, golden perch and Australian bass, as well as brown trout and rainbow trout. For more information about Angler Access, and to view the map, visit the DPI website at this link.
Fishing season reminders
Bass
Zero bag limit for bass and estuary perch starts 1 May and ends 31 August. Catch and release is allowed. The zero bag limit does not apply to fish in stocked freshwater impoundments, including Glenbawn Dam and Glennies Creek Dam in the Hunter Valley, Brogo Dam near Bega and Clarrie Hall and Toonumbar Dams in the northeast; anglers may continue to fish for these species in those waters all year round.
Trout
Spawning season starts 1 May in the Snowy Mountains and special rules apply to the Thredbo River and its tributaries and the Eucumbene River and its tributaries (upstream of the Lake Eucumbene dam wall and including Providence Portal). A minimum size limit of 50 cm, daily bag limit of one and possession limit of two trout will apply to these rivers from 1 May to the end of the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Annual closure on fishing in trout streams for NSW will be in place from Tuesday after the Queen's Birthday weekend and re-opens on the October long weekend. Trout dams remain open to fishing throughout the year.
When the season opens again in October, a minimum size limit of 25 cm, daily bag limit of two and possession limit of four trout again applies to the Thredbo and Eucumbene Rivers and other fly and lure only waters in NSW.
Murray cod
Season closed in NSW from 1 September to 31 November, except Copeton Dam.
Eastern Freshwater Cod
The annual three month fishing closure of the Mann and Nymboida Rivers and their tributaries comes into effect 1 August to 31 October. All fishing in the specified area is prohibited to enable the endangered Eastern Freshwater Cod to spawn uninterrupted during its breeding season. Eastern Freshwater Cod are totally protected throughout NSW regardless of where or when they may be found.
Murray crayfish
Closed all year other than the following waters between 1 June and 31 August each year inclusive: (a) Murrumbidgee River between the Hume Highway road bridge, Gundagai and Berembed Weir near Ganmain and (b) Murray River from 130 below Hume Weir near Albury to the Newell Highway road bridge at Tocumwal
Who represents anglers?
Recreational Fishing NSW Advisory Council
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/recreational-fishing-fee/licence-fees-at-work/rfnsw
Recreational Fishing Freshwater Trust Expenditure Committee members and minutes
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/recreational-fishing-fee/licence-fees-at-work/rfftec
Recreational Fishing Saltwater Trust Expenditure Committee members and minutes
https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/recreational-fishing-fee/licence-fees-at-work/rfstec
Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW Facebook page
www.facebook.com/RFANSW
NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/NSWCFA
Is your club a member of the Council of Freshwater Anglers?
The NSW CFA is the main umbrella group for freshwater fishing organisations in NSW and enjoys a productive relationship with the NSW Department of Primary Industries and other agencies and recreational fishing organisations. We welcome all freshwater fishing clubs as members and as visitors to our meetings. Member organisations are able to send voting delegates to our quarterly meetings. For information about joining the NSW CFA, visit our website www.freshwateranglers.com.au or contact Mr Radge Diakiwv at diakiwv@live.com or (02) 9449 3539.|
Council of Freshwater Anglers Members
ACT Fly Fishers; The Barrington Club; Bass Kempsey; Canberra Anglers Association; Canberra Fisherman's Club; Central Coast Flyrodders; Clarence Fly Anglers; Council of Southern Districts Angling Clubs; Hastings Fly Fishers; Hunter Native Fish; Illawarra Fly Fishers; Lakeside Fly Fishing Club; Monaro Acclimatisation Society; New South Wales Rod Fishers' Society; Orange Trout Acclimatisation Society; Southern Bass Fishing Club; Sydney Fly Rodders.
Handy links
NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers Peak freshwater fishing body in NSW www.freshwateranglers.com.au
Recreational Fishing Alliance of NSW Peak recreational fishing organisation in NSW www.rfansw.com.au
NSW Department of Primary Industries www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries
Fisherman's Watch Report all illegal activities Free call 1800 043 536
Privacy
Subscriber details collected for Freshwater Fisher are used only for this newsletter and are not used for any other mailings by the NSW CFA, nor are they revealed to or used by any other organisation.
Newsletter banner photograph
Courtesy Alistair McBurnie, © A McBurnie 2016
