Orara River pools losing their magic, residents urge action Coffs Coast Coffs Coast News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - January 29, 2023 Campers on a riverbed island within the Orara River in giant barred frog habitat in the January 2023 holiday period. THE Magic Pools in the upper reaches of the Orara River have suffered a hit of human contamination over the school holidays as visitors spend time in the prime eco-tourism destination. Tom Rothsey is resident of the area, an ecologist specialising in threatened species and biodiversity conservation, and a bush regenerator. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au “We are blessed here with such a diversity of ecosystems, many of them near pristine, all within an easy drive of the city centre, that people are naturally attracted from all over the nation,” Tom told News Of The Area. While Tom and his neighbours believe the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds us should be open to all, he poses, “What happens when that enjoyment causes the degradation of the very thing being enjoyed?” This is the dilemma facing residents of Upper Orara right now. The Magic Pools in the upper reaches of the Orara River have been a favoured place with locals for generations, but residents say that the magic has been lost from the pools. “This once beautiful spot has in the course of a few short years of unthinking overuse become degraded to the point that it is nearly beyond saving,” Tom said. Tom explained the primary issues of concern to News Of The Area. “Firstly, degradation of the banks and riverbed by unwitting or just thoughtless actions, the worst of which are the driving of vehicles on to the riverbed itself, and the parking of vehicles and caravans hard up against the banks, where the exposed roots of the few remaining trees that hold the bank stable are slowly being compromised. “If these trees go, the knock-on effects at the pool and downstream are so unthinkable that residents insist that action be taken now. “Secondly there’s siltation of the waterways, a recognised threatening process for many species, including the endangered giant barred frog, and the endangered eastern cod. “Thirdly there’s the issue of copious amounts of human detritus including faeces, soiled nappies, plastics of all kinds, used syringes, used condoms, cans, bottles, and broken glass in the pool where children step. “The fourth major concern is the disruption to the natural flow of the river by trees fallen via human-mediated compromising of the bank leading to a buildup of river stone. “This alters the local environment to make it less conducive to the survival of threatened species and their prey items,” he said. Residents are keen that action be taken now to safeguard the Magic Pools, not just for recreational enjoyment, but more importantly, for river health, for the many threatened species that rely on the pools, for the importance of the location to the Gumbaynggirr people, and for future generations both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. Do the locals have a plan to save the Magic Pools? “You can bet we do,” said Tom. “We hope that our solutions are entertained by the joint tenure holders – Coffs Harbour City Council and the Forestry Corporation of NSW.” By Andrea FERRARI In the forest on the Orara River, this caravan and vehicles parked for three days on the exposed roots of the two oaks currently holding that bank together. Jill Lewellyn-Smith has been photographing river damage for some years. This shot taken in 2019 shows pallets left by visitors. Visitors using the river’s edge as a loo. Jill Lewellyn-Smith says she’s never taken a walk to the area without finding human rubbish of some sort. Down by the river’s edge, visitors in four wheel drive vehicles get stuck and spin their wheels, digging into the forest floor. Locals have now placed barrier logs to prevent this.
