Well, look no further than Taree's own backyard.

The once maligned Browns Creek (aka Crooked Creek) has a boardwalk under construction thanks to the support of community volunteer group Friends of Browns Creek along with MidCoast Council.

The creek is a partly tidal waterway that meanders through the town of Taree and supports 17 fauna and two flora species listed in the Threatened Species Act.

The community volunteer group has spent the last 10 years dedicating their time to the rejuvenation and maintenance of the creek and its surroundings.

"Due to COVID, bushfires and floods the starting date had been delayed so we are now able, that the weather has dried up a bit, to get it underway with (MidCoast) council's support," Friends of Browns Creek founder, Bill Dennis said.

"The creek has a tonne of potential and once the boardwalk is open it will be a gob-smacking asset to the community," Bill said.

The group is accepting new members and currently has around 30 active volunteers who meet every Wednesday morning.

The boardwalk is in the final stages of completion, however Bill advised that the beginning of the walk is open to the public and can be accessed via the bridge where Browns Creek meets the Manning River about half a kilometre from the railway in Taree.

"There is a lot of interesting bird life along the creek and this boardwalk will open all of that up for people to experience," he said.

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About Friends of Browns Creek

In 2012 Bill Dennis approached Manning Landcare about Browns Creek which led to the raised awareness and support from local business, adjoining residents, MidCoast Council and MidCoast Water.

"The Friends of Browns Creek" was formed and work began on searching for plans and environmental studies that had been completed to gain a complete picture of the issues regarding vegetation management and aquatic health.

Manning Landcare provided support and liaison, sorted technical expertise to produce a plan of works for the creek and successfully secured funding through the NSW Environmental Trust.

The funds allowed for weeding by trained bush regenerators and for information sessions to raise the profile of the creek and explain to the community what was hoped to be achieved.

The funds were further leveraged by working with Centrelink recipients needing to complete hours on community projects.

More information about the group and Browns Creek updates can be found on their Facebook page and the NSW Landcare website.