Group celebrates 10-years of vital restoration work

TEN years after volunteers planted trees along Angels Beach Drive in Ballina, OzFish Unlimited has grown into a national organisation with more than 100 restoration projects underway.

The group began in 2014 when anglers, council staff and Wetland Care Australia planted more than 40 trees and 150 native plants to protect fragile fish habitat beside the busy roadway.

OzFish founder Craig Copeland said the project showed how recreational fishers could make a difference.

“We wanted to show that even small projects proved rec fishers cared for their waterways,” Copeland said.

“It was about proving that if we start in our own backyard, perhaps we can inspire others to do the same.”

The aim was to improve water quality in the Richmond River and help revive the local oyster industry.

Casuarina trees now form a green screen between the road and the water, with volunteers leaving a gap that remains a popular fishing spot for bream and flathead.

“Almost every time I drive along that stretch, I think about the volunteers who made it happen,” Copeland said.

“It’s a reminder of what we can grow from just one morning of planting. This site is where the whole OzFish journey really began. Looking at it now, I see proof that we can turn good ideas into lasting change.”