The URCP is an Australian Government program aimed at restoring the health of urban waterways for native plants, animals and local communities. The program recognises that nearly half of all nationally listed threatened animals and a quarter of threatened plants occur in urban areas and that restoring these environments delivers lasting benefits for both biodiversity and people. The program aims to leave our environment in a better state and build resilience in a warming climate.

The two projects are being delivered with support from the Livingstone Shire Council (Yeppoon), Mackay Regional Council, and Reef Catchments. On-ground works are underway and will continue over the next few months, with both projects to be completed by April 2027.

"Urban waterways punch well above their weight. They support native wildlife, improve water quality, and give communities a genuine connection to nature right on their doorstep," said Julie McLellan, CEO of Healthy Land & Water. "Through our Water by Design initiative and the Living Waterways co-design model, we're working with the communities of Yeppoon and Mackay to convert these degraded channels into something people can be proud of. Investing in our urban waterways is one of the most cost-effective and multi-beneficial things we can do for both the environment and the communities that rely on it.

“The breadth of collaboration behind these projects sets them apart. Australian Government investment in urban waterways creates opportunities that go well beyond the on-ground works. NRM organisations and local governments, all contributing to restoring these waterways, and inviting the communities of Yeppoon and Mackay to become part of their local creek's legacy," McLellan says.

Yeppoon: Lex Semple Park

In Yeppoon, Healthy Land & Water is working in collaboration with Livingstone Shire Council to re-naturalise approximately 100 metres of Fig Tree Creek within Lex Semple Park. A section of waterway will be reshaped into a thriving natural corridor, with both banks recontoured and revegetated using local native vegetation. The creek bed will be rehabilitated and a new low-lying floodplain area planted with native paperbark trees that create a layered, connected habitat.

The native woodland area, alongside the creek, will also be improved through targeted weed removal and planting of native species, helping wildlife move freely across the park. To support native wildlife, the project will install rock piles, habitat logs and feed trees, alongside smart nesting boxes and information signs to help the community connect and understand the ecological values of the site.

By April 2027, these works will deliver measurable improvements to habitat condition and water quality flowing into Fig Tree Creek, benefiting native mammals, birds and aquatic fauna.

Mackay: Woodlands District Park

In Mackay, Healthy Land & Water is partnering with Mackay Regional Council and Reef Catchments to transform a heavily modified section of Woodlands District Park into a functioning natural waterway. Works will re-naturalise approximately 175 metres of a drainage channel discharging into McCreadys Creek, replanting both banks with native vegetation and restoring the channel to improve water quality and wildlife habitat.

The scope includes a remnant area of native woodland containing the channel, which will be improved through weed removal and additional planting. A stormwater detention basin that discharges directly to the watercourse will also be replanted with native wetland species. Once established, this vegetation will help to slow and filter stormwater before it reaches McCreadys Creek, improving water quality for native aquatic species. Wildlife habitat structures, including nesting boxes, rock piles and habitat logs, will be installed throughout the site, and information signs will invite the community into the story of the restoration.

By April 2027, the project will deliver measurable improvements to habitat health and the quality of water flowing to McCreadys Creek.

Built with the community, not just for it

Both projects have been shaped from the outset using Healthy Land & Water’s Living Waterways co-design model, a place-based approach that brings together planners, landscape architects, engineers and local residents as genuine partners in the design process. Co-design workshops have already been completed at both sites, with local community members helping to shape the scope and character of the works. Community planting days will be held at the conclusion of on-ground works at each site, giving residents the opportunity to get their hands in the soil and become part of the ongoing story and legacy of their local waterway.

"Our Living Waterways program is about rethinking the way we manage water in our urban areas. We work with communities, not just for them," said Ms McLellan. "The people of Yeppoon and Mackay already know and value these places. Our job is to work alongside them to restore the natural processes that make these waterways function, and to give the community the tools and ownership to protect them long into the future."

These projects are funded by the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, with the support of the Livingstone Shire Council, Mackay Regional Council and Reef Catchments.