Alice Springs Town Council will shift more than 20,000 cubic metres of sand and couch grass in a $400,000 project to rechannel the Todd River. Mayor Fran Kilgariff said the dry river bed would be moved between Walker Street and Heavitree Gap – one of the river’s most problematic areas.
“The rechannelling project is part of Council’s commitment to improving the Todd River’s natural environment and restoring it to its original condition,” Mayor Kilgariff said. “Couch grass has been a problem in the river for a number of years and Council is concerned that it’s interfering with the natural flow of the river. There are other environmental issues, such as the limited renewal of remnant natural bushland and fire hazards.”
The project, funded by the Northern Territory Government, is set to begin this month. Mayor Kilgariff said sand removed from the river bed would be recycled and used at Council’s landfill site.
“It will form the fill component of our tyre levy construction, which is part of our Storm Water Management Strategy,” she said. “The sand will also be used as a daily cover on the landfill to prevent vermin and scavenging.”
Council will work with native title holders from the Lhere Artepe Community and the Northern Territory Government to set up a management plan for the river.
“We have worked with them on the Couch Reduction Program over the past two years and we have seen the benefits that a tri-partisan agreement can bring to such a large community project,” Mayor Kilgariff said. “The Todd River has intrinsic natural and cultural values for our community and a management plan is necessary to ensure the health of the river for generations to come.”
