Achieving impact
Mid Brisbane Partnership - New phase
Reducing sediment entering Moreton Bay and building resilience in the Mid-Brisbane catchment area.
Improving water quality for Brisbane drinking supply at the Lowood and East/West Bank Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plants.The program works closely with landholders to deliver a range of projects such as revegetating riverbanks, installing fencing, removing weeds, and stabilising gullies.
The Mid Brisbane Partnerships Program - started in 2017 with an extension to June 2023 - has been confirmed for a new five-year phase commencing July 2023 that will focus on Lowood and East/West Mt Crosby Banks.
It has been created since its early days, to restore and protect water quality and to build resilience in the Mid Brisbane catchment area.
These projects ensure gullies and riverbanks are more resilient to high flow events, reducing erosion and the flow of sediment into the Mid Brisbane River and eventually Moreton Bay.
The project is focused on:
- Working with landholders to deliver on-ground works.
- Stabilising eroding gullies and riverbanks.
- Revegetating riparian areas to build resilience to high-flow events.
- Fencing to balance grazing for weed management with maintaining healthy riparian vegetation cover.
- Improved water quality for Brisbane drinking water supply at the Lowood and East/West Bank Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plants.
- Reduced sediment entering Moreton Bay.
What we are doing
Increasing landholders' knowledge on how to protect their land while increasing environmental resilience and reducing- water treatment costs.
The program focused on ensuring gullies and riverbanks are more resilient to high-flow events, is run in partnership with Seqwater.
The process involves:
- Working with the community to identify priority areas.
- Delivering projects with landholders.
- Improving the condition of river banks and gully systems.
- Delivering projects along the Brisbane River.
- Increasing water quality at the Lowood and East/West Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plants by reducing erosion, increasing vegetation cover, and managing grazing by livestock.
- Reviewing and identifying investment priorities and co-investment opportunities.
Measuring success
As a result of the program, the following will be achieved:
- Development of an Implementation Plan for the priority investment areas.
- Helping landholders protect their land while increasing environmental resilience and reducing- water treatment costs.
- Actions to improve agricultural practice.
- Weed management (treated under the associated Regional Riparian Weed Control Program).
- Vegetation establishment and erosion control to protect and build resilience within waterways of the Mid-Brisbane Catchment.
Why this project is important
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Approximately 40% of the drinking water supply for South East Queensland is either sourced from or travels through, the Mid-Brisbane catchment before being treated at the Mount Crosby Water Treatment Plant. Research has shown that baseline water quality in the Brisbane River has deteriorated due to an increase in sediment and pathogen pollution caused by historic vegetation clearing and grazing practices that have left most of the banks vulnerable to erosion during floods. The Mid-Brisbane River catchment is an important water source for residents and industry, providing value for drinking water, irrigation, recreation, and amenity. It is also an important source of water for the community and industry below the Mt. Crosby weir, influencing a range of values in the lower Brisbane River and Moreton Bay. |
Project snapshot
| Project name: | Mid Brisbane Partnership Program - New Phase |
| Project manager: | Mark Waud, Healthy Land & Water |
| Catchment: | Mid-Brisbane |
| Timing: | 2023 - 2028 |
| Budget: | |
| Partnerships: | This restoration and water protection program is delivered in partnership with Seqwater and in collaboration with landholders in the identified critical areas. |
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Project collaborators
This restoration and water protection program is delivered in partnership with Seqwater.
