After the flood: How people power is getting Innamincka back on its feet
In August, areas of the Innamincka Regional Reserve became accessible for the first time in months, as floodwaters receded. Find out how the outback town has been working to get back on its feet.
The outback township of Innamincka saw its highest flooding in recorded history on April 10, 2025, as massive rainfall from Queensland made its way down Kinipapa Cooper Creek.
As waters ebb away, a temporarily green landscape is emerging along with damage and debris.
(See more about the flood peak: In pictures: Record flooding closes outback parks.)
A people-powered clean-up effort
A team of 25 volunteers has contributed 1200 hours to the cleanup effort.
These big flood events are normal for the Lake Eyre Basin and inland river systems, occurring around once every fifteen years. However, they do leave some mess!
Across just two weeks, 20 members of Friends of Innamincka Reserves (FOIR) and five volunteer rangers put in an amazing amount of work to help ensure visitor safety and restore critical park infrastructure in the area.
Some volunteers travelled from as far afield as Port Lincoln and high-country Victoria. Working together with 3 National Parks and Wildlife rangers, they have:
- Removed debris from over 5km fencing
- Repaired and retensioned fencing
- Re-installed and painted damaged park signage
- Replaced and repaired cattle grids, grid approaches and grid safety markers
- Deployed road closure signs.
New fencing and signage
Volunteers have also been active with grant-funded care for heritage sites in the Innamincka township.
Interpretive signs and heritage site fencing have created a new heritage walking trail for visitors to enjoy, while attractions further out in the park are inaccessible.
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Flooding impacts on biodiversity
Kinipapa Cooper Creek is globally recognised as one of the last low-gradient, intermittent, unregulated dry-land river systems in the world.
When water flows down the system, it spreads into lakes and swamps, allowing regeneration of plant, animal and water species that are adapted to the wet and dry cycle.
Flood events provide a flush for the system to help keep it healthy.
These swamps and lakes provide important habitats for many migratory waterbirds, as well as Rakali (native water rat), and endangered species Plains Wanderer (bird) and Kowari (small carnivorous marsupial).
The floodwaters of 2025 have reached Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, which is great news for the regeneration of its aquatic life, plants and bird life.
With large volumes of water comes the threat of invasive species. National Parks and Wildlife staff are working to manage these biodiversity impacts.
Control of invasive buffel grass is a priority, and more than 20 camera traps have been set to monitor feral animal activity.
Is Innamincka Regional Reserve open to visitors?
As of September, the park tracks and campgrounds are all still closed.
There’s a large amount of work yet to be done, and areas and facilities will be reopened only as access becomes available and repairs can be carried out.
Innamincka ranger Penny Kothe emphasised the value of this early volunteer work.
“Having such a large and dedicated group of volunteers has helped immensely towards being able to reopen parts of the Innamincka Regional Reserve to visitors as soon as possible,” she said.
Check the National Parks and Wildlife Service web page for the latest information about the closures.
Find out about how the same moving floodwaters have breathed fresh life into the usually-arid Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre: Everything you need to know about visiting Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.