On November 28th, South Coast NRM was joined by Menang Elder Avril Dean, Lindsay Dean and project partners Minderoo Foundation, the City of Albany, and Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, to celebrate works to date and contribute to the restoration works of the Amity Reach project – a collaborative and ambitious urban water restoration project in the heart of Albany. A collective vision to restore the water way for community, culture and the environment – especially the Yakkan – the Menang Noongar name for the Long Necked Turtle.
To date, more than 56 local people have been involved in rehabilitating in the site, including planting 3,600 native seedlings following removal of invasive plants, site preparation and re-contouring along a 200-metre stretch of the creek.
South Coast NRM CEO Luke Bayley highlighted the rehabilitation works, saying “South Coast NRM is pleased to have been able to coordinate this complex project with the City of Albany and contributing funders to continue the improvements on Yakamia Creek and support work in the catchment”.
Minderoo Foundation’s Director of Building Communities, Louise Olney, shared these sentiments, adding that “Minderoo is pleased to be able to support communities working together towards a healthy, accessible environment as shown at this site”.
“Yakamia Creek demonstrates that great outcomes can be achieved at a community level, through collaboration between government, philanthropy, and not-for-profit sectors.”
With significant restoration works already completed, Yakamia Creek is part of a broader initiative to transform degraded sections into ‘living streams’, thereby enhancing the ecological function of the waterway and improving habitat for the Western Long Neck Turtle and other wildlife. The enhancement of this Yakamia Creek project demonstrates improvements achieved with weed removal and terracing of the bank to enable replanting and maintenance access.
Thank you to Rebecca Stephens Member for Albany, Oyster Harbour Catchment Group, Janicke Environmental Investigations, Green Skills Inc and the many others who contributed on the day – and all involved in the project to date. We look forward to the next stage!