Vegetation and Site Maintenance

⁠⁠⁠Through funding from the Australian Government Reef Trust initiative, FBA requests tenders from suitably experienced contractors to undertake maintenance of planted areas on the bank and overbank area of a riverbank stabilisation site (referred to as Site 7) with an area of approximately 5.8 hectares located off Flood Rd, Yaamba.  

Summary of Prior Works:

Works on this site included extensive civil works to batter the bank to a minimum 1:3 profile. After achieving the batter profile, Horizon A topsoil was spread to a minimum of 250mm over the entire batter. Key to the long-term success (minimise erosion and ensure stabilisation of the bank) of this project is the establishment and successful development of riparian vegetation (both planted and
natural regeneration) on the bank and on the adjacent overbank areas.

To reduce the impact of extreme heat and extended dry weather, an irrigation system has been implemented to water the bank and overbank areas. The irrigation pump runs at night-time using electricity provided by the landholders and during daytime using a solar pump. Initial design and operational problems with the irrigation system have mostly been resolved with an estimated 90% of the bank area and 100% of overbank area receiving water.

Prescribed Activities:
Maintenance of the defined planted area on the riverbank and on the overbank area is to be undertaken.

The following activities need to be undertaken for successful maintenance of the site:

1. Control of pest plants declared under the Queensland Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002 using current best practice methods for each target species and in compliance with other relevant legislation. Control measures must be sufficient to prevent any increase in the frequency of occurrence of these species throughout the entire site and over the
   full contract period.
2. Control of invasive non-native plants that could significantly inhibit the establishment and growth of planted species and natural regeneration of native species including: Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus), green panic (Panicum maximum var. trichoglume), para grass (Brachiaria mutica), grader grass (Themeda quadrivalvis), and thatch grass (Hyparrhenia rufa). Control measures must
   be sufficient to prevent any increase in the frequency of occurrence of these species throughout the entire site and over the full contract period.
3. Monitoring of the operation and effectiveness of the irrigation system and recording and reporting (to FBA) of operational failures or incomplete or ineffective irrigation as evidenced by moisture
   stress of groundcover.
4. Visual assessment of condition of plantings and trajectory of planting success (defined as 90% survival of the planted trees and Lomandra that are alive at the time of the first transect monitoring) across the site and reporting to FBA of any anticipated decline in condition and success of plantings with recommendations for remediation
5. Establishment of three permanent (period of contract) approximately 50m by 50m monitoring transects extending from approximately 5m landward of the water edge toward the landward edge of the overbank area (to the extent of the overbank fence) , with one transect located near the northern end of the site, one near the southern end, and one in the center. Transect
   coordinates to be provided.
6. Six monthly photo and monitoring of the transects for:

• plants declared under the Queensland Land Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002; 5
• other specified invasive non-native plants;
• soil disturbance e.g. evidence of erosion or animal activity;
• groundcover (%); moisture stress.

        7. Maintain survival rate and establishment condition of plantings.

        8. Visual inspection of pile fields and rock structures for signs of damage or erosion.

        9. Reporting, including monitoring photos, the results of six-monthly monitoring to FBA within five
            business days of completion