By Cathy Jones (2023)
In 2001, Strathfield Council commenced restoration of naturalised banks to the Cooks River in Freshwater Park. This work included battering of the riverbanks to reduce the steep bank slope and their stabilisation using local native vegetation, natural rock and geotextiles to allow water penetration, while holding back the soil. Over 55,000 indigenous plants were introduced through this project.
During Stage 1, Freshwater Park underwent partial restoration with completion of the Cooks River Restoration Works. This project won the 2005 Local Government Excellence in the Environment Awards for Urban Waterways Restoration.
During Stage 2, the project involved a rehabilitation program to re-establish an valuable green corridor within the Strathfield Golf Club. With the assistance of the NSW Department of Planning and the Strathfield Golf Club, Council took action to restore approximately 400 m of the upper Cooks River through ecologically sensitive bank modification and revegetation works. Sandstone rock walling, extensive weed control and the installation of approximately 22 000 plants from 42 different locally indigenous species was intended to reduce erosion and contribute to the re-establishment of native vegetation along this important section of the Cooks River.
In the long-term, this project aimed to set a benchmark for waterway restoration that is self-sustaining, rich in biodiversity and demonstrates the efficient use of open space in a highly urban area. Several engineering and landscaping measures were adopted to arrest the erosion that was destabilising the riverbanks and bed of the Cooks River within the Strathfield Golf Club.
