AN INJECTION of more that $1 million dollars from South East Queensland (SEQ) councils is set to fast track priority flood recovery works across the Logan-Albert River catchment.
The mayors of Logan City, Scenic Rim and Redland City councils announced the targeted recovery plan on the banks of the Logan River on July 14.
The Logan-Albert Catchment Action Plan is the fourth to be released as part of the Resilient Rivers Initiative.
According to City of Logan mayor Luke Smith, the catchment sustained significant damage from the deluge of ex-Tropical Cyclone Debbie and works were needed to climate-proof the catchment.
“While we can't stop the severe weather that may affect south-east Queensland, there are steps we can take to lessen the overall impact of these events,” he said.
“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.”
Working together
Scenic Rim mayor Greg Christensen said ex-Tropical 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.
“The Logan-Albert Catchment Action Plan is a road map to ensure we’re all working together to keep soil on our land and out of our waterways,” he said.
Priority areas
Council of Mayors (SEQ) treasurer and Redland City mayor Karen Williams said high priority areas across SEQ, such as the Logan-Albert catchment, would benefit from vital on-ground works getting under way.
“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.
“The Council of Mayors (SEQ) are taking the unprecedented step of contributing pooled funds to the Resilient Rivers Initiative to be used to deliver works right across the region.
“As a group, we recognise the importance of working collaboratively to protect south-east Queensland’s greatest natural asset,” she said.
The Council of Mayors (SEQ) will continues to lobby the federal and state governments for a long-term funding and governance solution.
The Resilient Rivers Initiative is a coordinated approach to catchment management to protect south-east Queensland’s waterways. Partners include the Council of Mayors (SEQ), Queensland Government, Seqwater, Healthy Land and Water, Unitywater and Queensland Urban Utilities.
