South East Queensland (SEQ) councils will join together in a $2 million long term strategic plan to improve and protect the Lower Brisbane-Redlands Coastal Catchment, as part of the Resilient Rivers Initiative.
As South East Queensland continues to grow, the region’s waterways are coming under increasing pressure.
The Lower Brisbane-Redlands Coastal Catchment Action Plan will primarily target the impacts of stormwater runoff from urbanised areas on the catchment’s creeks, Brisbane River and Moreton Bay.
Council of Mayors (SEQ) Chair and Brisbane Lord Mayor, Graham Quirk, said protecting the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay for future generations was critical to the economic, environmental and social prosperity of South East Queensland.
“As one of the fastest growing regions in Australia, we need to take a proactive and coordinated approach to ensure our region’s anticipated growth doesn’t come at the cost of our creeks, rivers and iconic Moreton Bay.
“The Lower Brisbane-Redlands Coastal Catchment Action Plan will provide a roadmap to not only protect and enhance the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay but ensure our local creeks and waterways remain safe, clean and accessible.”
Redland City Mayor, Karen Williams, said the Lower Brisbane-Redlands Coastal Catchment Action Plan was a key component of the Resilient Rivers Initiative, a partnership bringing together the Council of Mayors (SEQ), Seqwater, Queensland Government, Healthy Land and Water, Unitywater and Queensland Urban Utilities.
“The Resilient Rivers Initiative is an important regional partnership that recognises our creeks, rivers and waterways don’t stop at land boundaries – they stretch across multiple tenures and need to be managed holistically.
“In addition to our existing waterways recovery programs, Council has been working with other regional experts to identify priority actions needed to protect our waterways.”
The Lower Brisbane-Redlands Coastal Catchment Action Plan incorporates three distinct catchment areas: The Lower Brisbane Catchment, the Redlands Coastal Catchment, and the
Moreton Bay Islands.
The combined area covered by the plan is nearly 2,000 square km.
The Lower Brisbane-Redlands Coastal Catchment spans five council areas: Brisbane City, Redland City, Logan, Ipswich City and Moreton Bay.
All waterways within the catchment flow into Moreton Bay, a designated Ramsar site and Queensland Government Marine Park.
