FUNDS from South East Queensland councils and a plan to improve the condition and resilience of the Logan-Albert catchment will help some of the areas hardest hit by ex-Cyclone Debbie recover.
Council of Mayors’ treasurer and Redland mayor Karen Williams said the work was especially important because the Logan River catchment condition had such a big impact on Redlands and Moreton Bay.
The Logan-Albert Catchment Action Plan is the fourth to be released as part of the Resilient Rivers Initiative, and will get more than $1 million to ensure priority works start immediately.
“The Resilient Rivers Initiative has identified a series of priority projects across the region, particularly in areas devastated by our recent floods like the Logan-Albert and Lockyer catchments, to benefit from an initial pool of funding contributed by the councils of SEQ,” Cr Williams said.
“The Council of Mayors are taking the unprecedented step of contributing pooled funds ... to be used to deliver works right across the region.
“As a group, we recognise the importance of working collaboratively to protect SEQ’s greatest natural asset.”
Flooding causes enormous damage to heavily cleared farmland and then creates a double whammy as the sediment destroys water quality in streams and Moreton Bay.
So much topsoil was ripped from Brisbane River catchments during the January, 2011, floods, that it changed 50 sq km of Moreton Bay from a sand to a mud environment.
Logan mayor Luke Smith said the Logan-Albert catchment sustained significant damage from the deluge and works were needed to climate-proof the catchment.
“While we can't stop the severe weather that may affect SEQ, there are steps we can take to lessen the overall impact of these events.
“The city of Logan is proud to be partnering with our fellow SEQ councils to take the lead in delivering on-ground projects to build climate resilience in our catchments and improve the condition of the waterways.
“Our creeks and rivers are interconnected and don’t recognise local government boundaries, this is why a coordinated approach to managing and funding work in our catchments is essential in SEQ.”
Scenic Rim mayor Greg Christensen said Cyclone Debbie had stripped valuable agricultural soil from the land, knocking out the surrounding water treatment plants and threatening the local water supply.
“Time and time again, we’re seeing these severe weather events stripping the soil and destroying the livelihoods of our local producers,” he said.
