OzFish Unlimited - Coffs Harbour Chapter

11/06/2026

And that's a wrap on another epic weekend with chapter members spanning far and wide to meet in Roseberry, NSW.

It kicked off with a yarn from Githabul man - David Welsh, followed by riverbank tree planting, a Pimp My Jetty construction demo, and finishing the day with water bugs as ratings for water health. To top it off, we mastered plant ID whilst wandering through a riparian zone and remnant within the Border Rangers. 🌳

New friendships were formed, even after some healthy competition during our trivia and carp comp with some winners taking away some great little prizes. 🎣

12/05/2026

Last Saturday's planting day was a massive success- we got 700 trees in the ground along the stunning Fridays Creek! 🌳 OzFish had completed a planting on this same property 4 years ago, with this one building on that by expanding the riparian zone even further.

We couldn't have pulled it off without the incredible efforts from the regen team at Biodiversity Doctor Australia, landholders Brett and Lisa, and all our amazing volunteers. Special shoutout to Exec chapter members Stephen and Stefano for always being the first to arrive and the last to leave - legends! 🙌

We also ran a waterbug workshop comparing the Orara River and Fridays Creek, with both showing impressive biodiversity. Lots of sensitive bugs were present, signalling excellent water quality on this site 🐛

04/05/2026

Is there someone in your chapter who quietly gets it done? Shows up early. Stays late. Puts fish first.
Now’s the time to call them out (in a good way).

Our OzFisher of the Year nominations are OPEN

This is your chance to recognise the legends who make a real difference to our waterways, whether they’re planting trees, restoring habitat, running events or just always there when it counts.

✔️ Any OzFish member can nominate another member
✔️ You can nominate across any chapter in Australia
✔️ Categories include National, Junior and State/Territory awards
✔️ Winners announced on 20 May during National Volunteer Week

If someone deserves a bit of the spotlight, this is it.

👉 Nominate here: https://ozfish.org.au/ozfisher-of-the-year/

Nominations close 13 May. Don’t sit on it.

21/04/2026

Help us find our next award winner!

Nominations are officially OPEN for the 2026 NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards!

We all know an OzFisher who goes above and beyond, the person leading the charge at every workshop or assisting others learn more about our fisheries. Now is the time to give them a shout-out.

Why get involved? Last year, the OzFish Murray-Darling Basin Program took home the NSW Volunteer Team of the Year award! We know the impact our community has on waterways, and we want to keep that momentum going.

Every nominee is recognized with a certificate and an invitation to a regional ceremony and it's the perfect way to say "thanks for all you do."

Ready to nominate? It only takes a few minutes to put someone forward!

Nominate here: www.volunteering.com.au/awards/

Nominations close Friday, 29 May 2026.

20/04/2026

Every time we visit our Kalang site, we deploy a BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video) to see how the fish habitats we've improved are attracting more species. These surveys help us measure the species present, species richness and the maximum number of individuals of a single species.

The photos below are from a survey completed at the end of March, with a camera placed next to one of the many rootballs installed. It was great to see the habitat in action and even better to spot our resident eel returning for a visit!

A clear sign that these habitat improvements are making a real difference underwater 🐟

08/04/2026

A few happy fisho’s and fishes enjoying the recent restoration works at the Kalang site!

A big thanks to the efforts of our dedicated OzFisher’s and Bellingen Shire Council crew who recently planted another 1000 trees. 🌱

16/12/2025

Yesterday, OzFish, Bellingen Shire Council and the Ngiyambandigay Wajaarr Aboriginal Corporation rangers joined forces to plant 540 native trees and grasses along the Kalang River ✊

This marks the first stage of our planting, which will see a total of 1,655 native plants and grasses in the ground to:
🐟Increase fish habitat
🌱Stabilise the riverbanks
💧Improve water quality

We’ll be back for another planting session in early autumn next year - stay tuned for details and get ready to lend a hand!

To find out more about this exciting project 👉https://ozfish.org.au/projects/kalang-river-restoration-reach-nsw/

Funding for this project was provided by the Recreational Fishing Trust and Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Flagship Fish Habitat Action Grants Program, and is supported by Bellingen Shire Council, and BCF – Boating, Camping, Fishing.

19/11/2025

All the engineering works have been completed at the Kalang River restoration - rock and log structures have been installed to boost fish habitat and stabilise the banks. The next steps are fencing 300 metres of riverbank to keep the stock out and protect to area. Aswell as planting over 1000 native trees and shrubs to create a 20 metre riparian buffer.

We will be getting plants into the ground early Autumn next year so keep your eyes out- we need your help! 🌿

18/11/2025

Check out this incredible restoration work on the Coffs Coast at Narlu for Koala Habitat restoration- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovpBZgCjCDk

OzFish volunteers and community members have removed more than 500 metres of invasive weeds and planted 500 native trees and shrubs to restore this vital waterway.

These efforts are what makes a difference - increasing shade and shelter for aquatic life, filtering runoff, stabilising creek banks, and improving water quality.

Thanks to this incredible community collaboration, we’re all helping to revive a key threatened ecological community and create a healthier future for our waterways. 🌿🐟

Brett and Lisa Vercoe have always been passionate about the environment, spending the vast part of their life living and working by the ocean. However, in 20...

31/10/2025

The Kalang River Restoration project is officially underway! 🌿

🐟 Together with local landholders, Bellingen Shire Council, and Tallowood Environment and Engineering, we’re working to bring new life to this vital stretch of river near Bellingen.
Over the months, you’ll see:
• Stabilisation of eroding riverbanks
• Installation of log and rock structures to boost fish habitat
• Planting over 1000 native trees and shrubs to create a 20m riparian buffer
• Fencing off 300m of riverbank to keep stock out and protect the area.

This section of the Kalang River is critical habitat and a nursery for species like Australian Bass, Mulloway, and Dusky Flathead, and we are working together to support its recovery!

We will need all hands on deck for planting in early 2026 so stay tuned for updates as the restoration progresses.