Healthy Land & Water’s Kedron Brook Project claims international recognition for environmental placemaking
A Brisbane riverine recovery project led by Healthy Land & Water has earned international recognition, receiving a Commendation for Environmental Placemaking at the Asia Pacific Place Leaders Awards in Darwin.
HEALTHY LAND & WATER MEDIA RELEASE
Date 04 April 2025
Healthy Land & Water’s Kedron Brook Project claims international recognition for environmental placemaking. A model for community empowerment in environmental recovery
A Brisbane riverine recovery project led by Healthy Land & Water has earned international recognition, receiving a Commendation for Environmental Placemaking at the Asia Pacific Place Leaders Awards in Darwin.
The Kedron Brook Riverine Restoration Project, delivered by Healthy Land & Water with support from engagement specialists Fourfold Studio and engineering firm Bligh Tanner, was commended for its innovative approach to environmental recovery and community empowerment following the devastating 2022 floods.
The award-winning project targets a highly urbanised section of Kedron Brook impacted by the 2022 floods - including Keperra, Arana Hills, Everton Hills and Mitchelton - and focuses on improving waterway health, reducing streambank erosion, and restoring riparian vegetation while giving local residents the knowledge and skills to participate in ongoing rehabilitation efforts and empowering them to become stewards of their shared natural spaces.
“We’re proud to see this work recognised on a global stage,” said Samille Loch-Wilkinson, Land Restoration Team Leader at Healthy Land & Water. “This project shows that when technical expertise is combined with community collaboration, we can create places that promote ecological health, community connection and on-ground action. This award recognises what can be achieved when working directly with residents: we created a model for sustainable, community-driven environmental stewardship."
Environmental placemaking in action
What truly sets the project apart is its holistic approach to environmental placemaking - creating meaningful connections between people and their natural surroundings. Through a tailored workshop series, residents were invited to reimagine their local waterways as shared community assets. The workshops helped participants understand how the waterway connects everyone - what happens upstream affects those downstream, and each property owner's actions impact their neighbours and the broader community. This understanding helped residents see how their individual efforts contribute to the health of the entire Kedron Brook system. They participated in workshops on bush regeneration, created personalised property plans, and gained hands-on skills in revegetation and erosion control, all while recognising that taking care of their own patch benefits everyone.
“The workshops gave us confidence, knowledge and a clear path forward,” said one resident. “They gave us the tools and confidence to become active placemakers in our own backyards, and I left feeling positive and excited to contribute to creating a healthier, more connected environment for everyone.”
Post-workshop surveys revealed the project's success:
• 94% of participants felt confident applying their new knowledge independently.
• 100% stated they would recommend the workshops to others.
• Many have already started revegetation on their own properties, becoming active environmental stewards.
Each participant also received a free one-year membership to Save Our Waterways Now (SOWN), providing continued access to native plants, tools, and expert support.
Healthy Land & Water continues to champion this approach as a model for flood recovery that creates environmentally resilient places through community-led stewardship.
Creating resilience through environmental collaboration
The project was supported by Healthy Land & Water, with assistance provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
"This recognition from the Asia Pacific Place Leaders Awards validates how important it is to include community empowerment into environmental recovery," added Samille. "The real success of this project is that it continues well beyond our formal involvement, with residents now leading their own place-based restoration efforts and advocating for nature-based solutions in their community."
To learn more about the Kedron Brook Riverine Restoration Project, visit www.hlw.org.au/kedron-brook.
This project is supported by Healthy Land & Water, with assistance provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
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To arrange interviews or for more information: Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Alberta Guadagnini, Healthy Land & Water,
