A $4 million program will transform nine priority waterway sites across Ipswich, with on-ground work underway at key sites on the Bremer and Brisbane Rivers, Woogaroo Creek, Bundamba Creek and Ironpot Creek.
The projects are jointly funded by the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program and Ipswich City Council.
Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek said it was important to act now as almost half of all nationally listed threatened animals and a quarter of our threatened plants occur in urban areas.
“We want to leave nature better off for our kids and grandkids, and that means repairing damage to our environment and better protecting it for the future,” Minister Plibersek said.
“That’s why we’re investing $200 million in projects to revitalise our urban rivers and creeks.
“We want to support the groups on the ground who understand the needs in their community and are working to better manage and restore their local environment.”
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding said more than 14,000 square metres of riparian corridor would be rehabilitated over four years.
“The $3 million contribution from the Australian Government, and $1 million from Council, means we can tackle key sites on the Bremer and Brisbane rivers, Woogaroo Creek, Bundamba Creek and Ironpot Creek,” Mayor Harding said.
“The benefits from these nine projects will flow beyond our city boundaries and will avoid approximately 18,000 cubic metres of sediment entering the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay each year.”
Member for Blair Shayne Neumann said Ipswich City Council’s waterways monitoring had shown the devastating impact of the 2022 floods on the city’s platypus populations with DNA traces confirming the platypus population in creeks and waterways across Ipswich was now on the brink.
“This funding will be crucial to repairing Ipswich’s rivers and creeks. Efforts to improve water quality, preserve natural habitats, reduce sediment entering our waterways and counter erosion will benefit not only platypuses but the entire waterway’s ecosystem,” Mr Neumann said.
“The $3 million investment delivers on my election promise to support the work of Ipswich City Council for flood recovery and resilience projects along the Bremer River and its tributaries.”
Ipswich City Council Environment and Sustainability Chairperson Councillor Jim Madden said the projects would provide benefits to 30 threatened or significant plant and animal species and their habitats, from the Queensland lungfish to koalas.
“More than 30,000 native plants will be installed across the various sites to restore habitat, provide bank stability and resilience,” Cr Madden said.
“Further, five sites will increase fish habitat through large woody debris installations.”
The Ipswich projects are part of an Australian Government $200 million nation-wide six-year Urban Rivers and Catchments Program towards projects that provide benefits such as increasing habitat for native species, improving water quality or in-stream connectivity, providing community access to nature and reducing heat-related impacts in urban areas.