kooragang wetland rehabilitation project

Covering a total of 1590 hectares at Ash Island (780 ha), Tomago (800 ha) and Stockton Sandspit (10 ha), Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project (KWRP) is one of the largest active coastal rehabilitation projects in Australia. Initiated in 1993 to compensate for the loss of fish, shorebird and other wildlife habitat caused by 200 years of draining, filling and clearing in the Hunter River estuary, Koorgang Wetlands is now home to over 180 species of birds (including 24 species of migratory shorebirds), 15 species of frog, 10 species of bat and 300 species of indigenous plants. Included is this tally are 26 threatened species and one threatened community. Acting as a buffer between the internationally recognised, Ramsar-listed Hunter Estuary Wetlands and the major industrial and urban areas of Newcastle, the wetlands feature expanses of mangrove and saltmarsh in the intertidal areas. In the non-tidal areas, remnants of lowland floodplain rainforest represent the extensive forests that once attracted cedar getters to the area.

The original focus in rehabilitating Kooragang was to restore tidal flows to creeks to improve fisheries and wading bird habitat; however sightings of endangered species such as the green and golden bell frog and the Australasian bittern have highlighted the need to achieve a balance between the habitat requirements for different species. Other rehabilitation works include expanding areas of rainforest on higher, non-tidal areas by planting species that once grew on the site, and the development of Kooragang City Farm to research and demonstrate sustainable agricultural practices that are in harmony with natural ecosystems, especially wetlands.

Visitors are welcome to explore Kooragang Wetlands unguided at any time with the assistance of informative signage, while school groups and guided tours can also be arranged.

The Kooragang Wetlands Information Centre on Ash Island is open 10am to 4pm weekdays and the third weekend of the month. Access is via Ash Island Bridge, 100 m east of McDonalds on the Pacific Highway at Hexham (12 km west of Newcastle).

View map of Kooragang Wetlands

For more information visit the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project website.