Funded By:

Queensland Government

Partners:

Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee, Burnett Catchment Care Association, Noosa & District Landcare, Gympie Landcare

Background:

Natural resource management bodies play a vital role in repairing and improving unique Queensland assets for future generations, reiterated through the Natural Resource Investment Program (NRIP) funding.

Human activities such as land clearing, sand and gravel extraction, removal of riparian vegetation and grazing pressures significantly impact our natural resources. NRIP aims to rectify this through the sustainable management of our natural resources including land, water, vegetation and reef water quality.

NRIP focuses on areas that will produce on-ground natural resource outcomes, that can be measured by consistent state-wide monitoring mythology and performance indicators.

BMRG’s target is to enhance the streambank and wetland recovery for Reef water quality, support the Paddock to Reef program and conduct regional coordination and evaluation for the NRIP program in the Burnett Mary region.

Issue:

Although erosion is a natural and essential process in alluvial systems, human activities have accelerated the rates of channel erosion and sediment and nutrient delivery. Catchment runoff, with the resulting pollutant loads and poor water quality, is considered to have the greatest overall impact on coastal and marine assets in the Burnett Mary region.

Solution:

To counterbalance the issue, a focus is placed on revegetation and improving land management. Works include: bank reprofiling and structural toe protection (i.e. pile fields) where banks are too steep for vegetation to establish; active vegetation where the streambank is devoid of riparian vegetation; facilitated revegetation and weed management where the streambanks contain some riparian vegetation but will require infill planting; and fencing for stock exclusion along the entire length of works.

Project Scope:

This project aims to improve grazing land management over 700 hectares in the Burnett region.

By June 2022 this project will deliver:

  • 20 hectares of improved riparian vegetation condition will be achieved through stock exclusion on priority properties in the Mary Catchment
  • 600 metres of priority Mary River sites will be rehabilitated to improve hydrology and protect eroding banks through stabilisation works
  • 200 hectares of wetlands in the Lower Mary (Susan) River will have improved function and condition

Work done:

BMRG together with several delivery partners worked on a range of projects to improve soil health and stability, enhance high value native vegetation and reduce the amount of sediment flowing into the region’s waterways. Delivery partners contributing to NRIP’s success include the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee, Noosa and District Landcare Group, Burnett Catchment Care Association and Gympie Landcare.

Future work:

With the arrival of a new financial year, NRIP 2.0 will come to fruition to continue enhancing streambank and wetland recovery for Reef water quality, support the Paddock to Reef Program and conduct regional coordination and evaluation for the NRIP program in the Burnett Mary region. Monitoring methodology will continue to deliver measurable natural resource outcomes on completed projects.