The NSW Government has awarded the tender to trial state-of-the-art temporary fish passage technology at Menindee to Fishheart Ltd after a thorough and competitive tender process.
The project is part of the $6.52 million commitment to trial new fish passage technology at Menindee, which is a key component of the $25 million Restoring the Darling-Baaka River Program.
NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) Deputy Secretary Fisheries and Forestry Sean Sloan said this trial would take place over two to three fish migration seasons, starting this summer.
"This will be the first time that this temporary fishway technology will be trialed under Australian conditions and on native inland freshwater fish at this scale, and is an important part of the NSW Government response to the Office of the Chief Scientist & Engineer (OCSE)," Mr Sloan said.
"We have had staff in the Menindee area since August to discuss the trial of this innovative technology with the community and how it can be cost-effectively retrofitted to existing structures, such as the Lake Wetherell outlet regulator."
Australian fish need to migrate to feed, breed and seek new habitat but due to the introduction of barriers to fish passage, like dams and weirs, fish migration pathways have been impacted, interrupting vital aspects of fish life cycles, and leading to accumulations of fish below barriers.
"The goal of this project is to test options to connect the Northern and Southern Basin, helping move some fish out of the Menindee town weir pool to complete their life cycle, and contributing to reducing the biomass in the weir pool, reducing associated risks for water quality and fish kills."
Fishheart Ltd have proven experience delivering this technology overseas on similar sized structures and fish, with the trial offering an opportunity to test the concept in Australia.
"Due to the complexity of the existing weirs and regulators that allow flow management throughout the Menindee Lakes system, the design of effective fish passage solutions through the system can present significant challenges. Unfortunately, there is no one size fits all solution to restore fish passage in this system.
"This exciting trial is about finding a cost-effective temporary solution while DPIRD Fisheries develops a Business Case with partner agencies to find effective and permanent fish passage solutions.
"This trial will provide valuable insights to inform potential long-term fish passage solutions."
DPIRD Fisheries engaged NSW Public Works to manage the procurement process for the project's construction services in accordance with the Department's procurement guidelines via an open tender process that closed in September and have worked closely with project partners including WaterNSW to progress related assessment and onground activities.
This trial will also feature a monitoring and evaluation component led by DPIRD Fisheries researchers and covered by an Animal Research Authority under the Animal Care and Ethics Committee (ACEC) to assess the ability of the technology to pass fish safely and effectively.
