The current state-of-play needs to be improved, with urgency

Why we need to take action now

$27.3 million annual investment 

Australia is being regularly hit with massive costs by providing funding support after every disaster event.

• Thousands of people’s homes and livelihoods are impacted during each disaster event and this trend will continue without a switch to proactively building resilience.

• These events cause extensive permanent losses of valuable soil and infrastructure, further increasing vulnerability to future events.

• Damaging pollution threatens our ecosystems and liveability as soil and pollutants are washed off the land, down our waterways and out into the ocean.

Minimising the cost and impact of future extreme events, which we expect more of with climate change.

• The science shows it is 3 to 5 times more cost effective to invest in proactive measures than responding after each disaster event.

• Less people, homes, businesses, infrastructure and ecosystems would be impacted by switching to a more proactive approach.

• Greatly increases the resilience and liveability of the region, with learnings able to be applied nationally and globally.Thousands of people’s homes and livelihoods are impacted.

in catchment resilience solutions and capacity building to empower our people to take action.

To facilitate much needed on-ground work and capacity building solutions to restore and enhance waterways, landscapes and urban developments to significantly reduce movement of soil, collapse of landscapes, pollution and buffer the impacts on housing and infrastructure during disaster events.

Current situation: informed but fragmented

Why now: growing fast, climate change here

WHAT IS NEEDED

There is a huge amount of information available online, but it is hard work and time-consuming to find the right information to guide the best action.

People want to know that they are getting the best available information, curated by experts in the field. Thousands of people’s homes and livelihoods are impacted during each disaster event and this trend will continue without a switch to proactively building resilience.

Smart, accessible online support tools provide access to the best information and help people and communities across the region manage resilience to flood, fire, drought, climate change and population growth and become more productive, profitable and sustainable.

$1 million annual investment in creating smart decision support tools.

• Online training modules

  (5 x $80,000).

• Smart online portal to identify, prioritise and manage data and projects across SEQ, with the potential to be rolled out across Australia

  ($600,000).

Current situation: innovative but small scale

Why now: targeted scale-up less cost and greater benefit

WHAT IS NEEDED

Scientists and researchers have identified key areas in SEQ which contribute large negative impacts, including sediment loss, pollution, and increased pressure on natural systems and threatened species.

• The cost is often prohibitive.

A sizeable investment into addressing large contributors to environmental damage is a great way to tackle big problems quickly and cost effectively.

• Project results would be shared and able to be applied nationally.

$8.2 million annual investment in targeted resilience building projects.

• Large catchment earthworks projects (SEQ) (6 x $1,200,000)

• Statewide urban design projects via Living Waterways and Living Shorelines, which are integrated packages of initiatives including sustainable urban design, community flood resilience, revegetation, and work on coastal reefs, marine environments, and threatened species such as turtles, shorebirds and koalas (2 x $500,000).

Current situation: under-utilised but keen & capable

Why now: creates ownership and value-adding

WHAT IS NEEDED

First Nations peoples’ lived in harmony with their local environs for many millennia before Europeans arrived, yet their traditional knowledge around living sustainably and Caring for Country is not well integrated within planning and resilience delivery – a missed opportunity for designing optimal co-existence systems.

• There is a growing desire for people and communities to care for the environment and live sustainably, but they are often constrained by a lack of knowledge of what they can do to protect and improve their local environs. 

Empowering First Nations traditional knowledge to become a critical component of designing sustainable solutions for Country.

• Improving First Nations and community involvement in decision making.

Encouraging people to examine and adapt their behaviours for the benefit of the natural world and for the people and places we love.

• Empowering millions of people across regions to be part of the solution by giving them knowledge about what they can do to look after their environs, communities and way of life.

$8.5 million annual investment (for 3 years then tapering significantly):

• First Nations and community approach to landscape and township fire, flood and drought management:

  • Expansion of global best practice models – First Nations fire management planning for urban areas ($750,000).

  • Provide forums for stakeholders to work together on shared priorities and aspirations ($100,000).

  • Facilitate First Nations and community led start-ups to deliver local outcomes ($100,000).

• Living local communities and place-based solutions:

  • Activating local places (12 x $500,000 – 6 SEQ, 6 QLD).

  • Nature based green Olympics ready tourism (10 x $80,000).

  • Recreational education (10 x $80,000).

Current situation: motivated but lack support

Why now: connected, integrated and empowered

WHAT IS NEEDED

The majority of people care about the environment and inherently want to co-exist with it sustainably, but are held back because of:

• Lack of money to complete the works – it can be expensive!

• Lack of knowledge – they don’t always know what the problems are and what they can do to help.

Brings about positive change with public benefit sooner by:

• Providing capacity building to empower millions of people to be part of the solution and actively protect their interests and local landscapes.

• Co-funding works which have public benefit enabling landholders and businesses to deploy expensive projects sooner than they otherwise would have been able to.

• This investment tapers down over time as people are empowered to drive what they need.

$9.6 million annual investment (for 3 years then tapering down significantly) in rural/urban adoption officers to accelerate local knowledge and manage co-funded grants program to deliver targeted local works.

• Rural/urban adoption officers (10 x $150,000).

• Training/capacity building program delivery – fire, flood, drought, built design and sustainable best practice (10 x $150,000).

• Citizen science projects (40 x $40,000).

• Co-funded grants program for landholders to execute on-ground works (100 x $50,000).

Hub of environmental expertise in on-ground work, monitoring, and science, informing policy and decision making.

Connector of high-performing collaborations, with strong and extensive networks including hundreds of businesses, community groups, and research institutions and a long 20+ year history of bringing together multi-faceted partnerships to deliver and accelerate initiatives with lasting outcomes.

South East Queensland: one of Australia’s most desirable and fastest growing regions

Healthy Land & Water is the official natural resource management group for South East Queensland (SEQ), which is one of Australia’s most desirable and fastest growing regions.

SEQ attracts people from around the world because of its climate, liveability, economic opportunities, quality education and natural assets. It is home to around 3.8 million people and is expected to grow by almost 2 million people over the next 25 years.

Strong population growth and the impact of climate change will bring significant additional pressures to the region. In 2032 we will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games and millions of visitors will take the opportunity to travel to Australia. Many will form their impression of our country from what they see and experience in SEQ.

The growth and increasing global interest in SEQ is exciting, but it brings with it some inherent challenges in managing the region to ensure the demands on our resources are balanced. Healthy Land & Water is charged by the communities across SEQ with coordinating the official Natural Resource Management Plan for the region which sets targets to 2031. This is a living guide of the investment and actions needed by the many people, businesses and groups within SEQ to protect and enhance our unique, vital natural assets and position us for ongoing success as a prosperous, liveable and sustainable region.

As the peak environmental body for the region, we are well placed to oversee the development of a proactive package of strategies which would supercharge SEQ’s resilience and liveability, ensuring we are green Olympics ready when the eyes of the world are upon us.