Koondrook-Perricoota Forest Project

Part of the NSW Government’s Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism (SDLAM) Acceleration Program, the Koondrook-Perricoota Forest Project aims to reduce impacts of environmental water releases on landholders adjacent to the forest, allowing greater volumes of water to be delivered into the forest.

About the forest

Located on the traditional lands of the Bangerang and Yorta Yorta people, the Koondrook-Perricoota Forest is an extensive forest of river red gums and woodlands. It covers approximately 33,750 hectares along the Murray River south-west of Deniliquin in the Riverina region of southern NSW.

It is the second-largest red gum forest in Australia and is recognised as a wetland of international importance. The forest’s wetlands and floodplains provide habitat for many species of plants, fish, reptiles, birds and marsupials, including endangered species such as the Southern bell frog   . The forest is also valued for its cultural heritage and its economic and recreational uses.

Before river regulation was introduced in the early 1900s, the Koondrook-Perricoota Forest experienced regular flooding for three to five months once every four years. In more recent times the flood frequency is approximately once every 12 years (with the exception of 2022/23). This change has meant a decline in both the productivity of the wetland and the health of the ecosystem.

About the project

The project builds on previous infrastructure works completed in the forest from 2010 to 2014. These works aimed to recreate, using relatively low flows, large environmental watering events in the forest. These events would otherwise require significant flows in the Murray River resulting in a range of impacts to property and private infrastructure adjacent to and downstream of the forest.

Rectifying these impacts will enable greater volumes of water to be delivered into the forest allowing inundation of at least 30 per cent of the river red gum forest. This will create increased breeding opportunities for thousands of native water birds, as well as improved conditions for native fish in the wetlands.

Project details

The project includes the:

• construction of 5.9 km of critical levees enabling higher flows to be delivered via the existing The Living Murray offtake channel
• removal and replacement of Sandy Bridge (over Barbers Creek) to allow increased load limits (completed in early 2024)
• removal and replacement of the Woodara and Widderin block banks with structures enabling higher passing flows
• replacement of the Bookit and Merribit regulators enabling the passing of increased flows with additional operational flexibility and fish passage
• replacement of the Little Barbers Creek offtake regulator (culvert) to increase capacity and enable higher passing flows
• construction of the Horseshoe Lagoon and Merangatuk culverts
• replacement of the Thule Lagoon regulator to protect private property and increase efficiency of environmental water delivery.

These works will enable flows of 2,000 ML/day out of the Barbers Creeks system and 1,000 ML/day out of the Thule Creek system downstream of the forest boundary while minimising impacts on landholders.

Stakeholder and community engagement

The Water Group is working closely with the Koondrook Perricoota Alliance, Wakool Rivers Association, Western Murray Land Improvement Group and other key stakeholders who are at the heart of the project.

We have engaged extensively with communities and stakeholders to progress the project through the planning and design phases. We will continue to keep communities and stakeholders informed as the project moves into construction.

Upcoming engagement opportunities will be listed on this webpage and on our have your say page.

Engagement with First Nations people

We recognise and acknowledge the unique relationship, understanding and deep Connection-to-Country First Nations people have as the Traditional Owners and first peoples of Australia, and this plays a crucial role in informing our approach to the project.

We have worked closely with First Nations communities to complete Aboriginal cultural heritage studies of the project sites and we will have First Nations representatives on site during construction to monitor works and ensure cultural artefacts are preserved and protected.