Projects in the Flow

Council is committed to protecting our natural environment by maintaining the health of our waterways. We are working towards this through a variety of on-ground projects, data collection, asset maintenance and management, and education. Projects in the flow provides a summary of waterway projects that are either ongoing, in their final stages or have been completed. 

Recently completed projects

2024 Sustainable Cities Award

Camden Council won the Waterways and Marine Protection Award at the 2024 Keep Australia Beautiful NSW Sustainable Cities Awards, recognising efforts to restore the Nepean River and protect local biodiversity.

Through bank stabilisation, fish habitat reinstatement and extensive revegetation efforts, Council together with its partners has restored over 300 metres of the riverbank, installed 10 hardwood river snag structures, removed 10,000 square metres of woody weeds and planted over 30,000 native plants, including 75 critically endangered Camden white gums.

Nepean River Bank Stabilisation – Rotary Cowpasture to Belgenny Reserve

In September 2024, Camden Council completed bank stabilisation works at four sites along the Nepean River Cycleway (Camden Bike Track) to protect the footpath and riverbank from erosion caused by the 2022 floods.

The project included erosion control, removal of woody weeds, and revegetation with native species from the endangered ecological community River-flat Eucalypt Forest. Some sites are already showing positive results, with sediment accumulating after smaller flood events; evidence that the works are helping to stabilise the bank. Ongoing maintenance, planting, and weeding will continue. Funding for this project was assisted by the NSW Government through its Environmental Trust and jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements 2018.

July 2023 - before	October 2024 - after

Nepean River Waterway Walk & Guided Walking Tours

To celebrate the completion of the Nepean River Bank stabilisation works and the re-opening of the Nepean Cycle Way (Camden Bike Track), Council installed educational signs to form the Nepean River Waterway Walk. The walk highlights some of the unique animals that live along the riparian corridor and how you can help look after the Nepean River and the surrounding local area. To access the Nepean River Waterway Walk Guide, bingo card, and guided walking tours, click here. 

Nepean River Bank Stabilisation at Ferguson Reserve 

Since the completion of bank stabilisation works at Ferguson Reserve, Camden in 2023, the site is showing strong signs of recovery. The project was fully funded by Sydney Water and aimed to restore a 200 metre stretch of degraded riverbank.

LiDAR data showed 13,700 cubic metres of soil was lost during flood events between December 2021 and July 2023. Recent data confirms a net gain of 270 cubic metres of sediment between December 2023 and November 2024, indicating improved bank stability. Native vegetation, including the critically endangered Camden white gums, is now well established across the site. Sydney Water will continue to maintain and monitor the area until 2033.

July 2023 - bank stabilisation works complete	October 2024 - native vegetation re-established

Nepean River Bass Habitat at Spring Farm 

Since bank stabilisation and fish habitat works were completed in 2023, the fish habitat site at Spring Farm has been thriving.

Large woody debris structures, known as snags, have successfully reduced erosion and encouraged sediment deposition, while also creating valuable habitat for fish, birds, lizards, and turtles. The 1,500 native plants installed with help from the community have transformed the area from exotic grasses into a healthy riparian zone.

July 2023 - bank stabilisation works complete	March 2025 - sediment deposition evident

Restoration of Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest at Spring Farm 

Council is continuing significant restoration works within the Spring Farm bushland corridor and along Springs Creek to conserve and enhance the existing pockets of Elderslie Banksia Scrub Forest (EBSF).

EBSF is one of the unique types of riparian vegetation found in the Camden area. It is critically endangered with only 15 hectares remaining in total across NSW. In 2024/25 over 2,100 bush regeneration hours went towards targeted weed control and revegetation works to restore and protect this ecological community. 3,000 plants have also been grown from seeds collected onsite to ensure the genetic provenance of key plant species including Banksia integrifolia and Eucalyptus botryoides.

National Tree Day 2024 at Springs Creek

National Tree Day was held at Spring Farm on Sunday 28 July 2024 in collaboration with Sydney Water and Downer BMD Joint Venture. Together with the community, 2,000 native trees, shrubs and grasses were planted from the critically endangered ecological community of Cumberland Shale Plains Woodland.

The efforts of community volunteers helped build up the resilience of this endangered ecosystem and help to connect high quality bushland found further upstream and downstream of the planting site, increasing connectivity of the riparian vegetation in the area.

Nepean River Trail Wins Award

In 2025, the Nepean River Trail was awarded the NSW National Trust Landscape project of the Year. The 4.2 kilometre walking trail was opened in June 2024 and links walking tracks along picturesque landscapes, scenic waterways, and public art through Camden Town Farm, Ferguson Reserve Cricket Facility, and Camden Bicentennial Equestrian Park. The trail was made possible with $5.1 million of funding secured through the NSW Government Public Spaces Legacy Program.

As part of the project, 8,000 square metres of woody weeds were removed and 23,000 native plants from the River-flat Eucalypt Forest community, including 60 critically endangered Camden white gums, were planted in partnership with Greening Australia under the Rewilding Sydney Program.

Hook, Line & Measure Competition

In 2025, Council ran a fishing competition to promote the Hook, Line & Measure citizen science platform and encourage the fishing community to record their catches. Each entrant received a Camden Council brag mat to record the length of their catch, and the lucky major prize winner won a $300 voucher to a local fishing and camping store. 

The competition was a great success with over 50 submissions received and a diversity of species caught in the local area including: Australian Bass, Mullet, Silver Perch, Freshwater Catfish, Long-fin Eel and invasive European Carp and Mosquito Fish.

To check out these catches and see where others are fishing in the local area, click here. 

Previously completed projects