Summary
The Davidson Street Creek Restoration project is an inspiring example of community, government and industry working together to improve and protect the environment.
In 2018, Healthy Land and Water launched a project to restore a section of Breakfast Creek that flows through Corbie Street Park, situated at the end of Davidson Street in Newmarket. The project – supported by Brisbane City Council, Save Our Water Zone and the state and federal governments – is designed to enhance the natural elements of Breakfast Creek and make it easier for the community to enjoy its surrounds through enhanced accessibility.
From the beginning, a key element of the project was community consultation and involvement. The 2017 Healthy Land and Water Report Card found that 31 per cent of residents living in the highly-urbanised Lower Brisbane catchment were interested in using their local waterways on a weekly basis, but only 30 per cent were motivated to protect them.
Healthy Land and Water believes that supporting communities to develop an emotional connection with their local waterways is crucial in protecting the health of South East Queensland’s waterways.
The project team decided the most effective way to establish an emotional connection between Breakfast Creek and the community was to include local residents in the design of the restoration project. In March 2018, a community workshop was held in Corbie Street Park allowing residents to share their ideas on how to improve the creek and explain what the local environment meant to them.
In the months following the initial workshop, Healthy Land and Water devised a masterplan for the restoration. It included weeding, revegetation of native species, a new pathway, stormwater drains, a creek viewing area and rock installations.
On-site works began in October 2018 when contractors moved in to begin weeding. The on-site works are set to continue through to January 2019.
This project is supported by Healthy Land and Water, through funding from the Australian Government’s Environment Restoration Fund.
Key Milestones
Aims
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Improving pedestrian access and the visual beauty of the creek
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Creating walking tracks to improve public access to the creek
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Installing seating and viewing areas
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The planting of native plants and Indigenous gardens to improve local understanding of flora and support creekbank stability and reduce erosion
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Nature play elements to provide opportunities for kids and adults alike to explore and learn through play
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Creating a popular community space and meeting point for local residents