South maroochy rivercare
Improving the quality of Sunshine Coast drinking water by rehabilitating native vegetation along waterways to prevent bank erosion and sediment runoff
The South Maroochy Rivercare program is a community driven water quality improvement program developed by South Maroochy landholders in collaboration with ECOllaboration and Seqwater. The program reflects the needs and interests of South Maroochy landholders whilst protecting the quality of local drinking water supplies and providing positive environmental outcomes for the South Maroochy and the local community.
Landholders with property on the South Maroochy River and tributaries within 25 kilometres upstream of Seqwater’s water supply intake at Image Flat Water Treatment Plant are invited to participate in the program.
The program has two levels – entry level and active level. Eligible landholders can choose the level of involvement and benefits they receive. Joining South Maroochy Rivercare helps local landholders access financial incentives* aimed at saving time and money whilst restoring your property’s natural environment.
Register your interest here or contact the Project Manager, Aleisha Keating for a free property assessment today!
*Funding support is subject to participation in the South Maroochy Rivercare program and an eligibility assessment.
What are the program benefits?
Landholder
- Financial incentives from Seqwater (subject to eligibility requirements) and other sources
- Access to connections in your area with local landholders
- Receive information and expertise on improving land management, the natural environment, waterway health and how to get more native flora and fauna on your land
- Planning support to identify projects for your property that may also offer cost/ time savings, increased land / farm productivity plus healthier waterways and natural areas.
Landholder
- Financial incentives from Seqwater (subject to eligibility requirements)
- Access to connections in your area with local landholders
- Receive information and expertise on improving land management
- Property planning support
Community
- Helping protect the quality of Nambour and surrounding town’s drinking water supplies
- Increasing connections across the South Maroochy community
- Creating improved information networks
- Helping protect and support local businesses
- Helping protect the recreation, economic and lifestyle opportunities for the South Maroochy community and surrounds.
Community
- Helping protect the quality of local drinking water supplies
- Increasing connections across the South Maroochy community
- Creating improved information networks
- Helping protect and support local businesses
Environmental
- Assisting recovery and protection of local native vulnerable and endangered species
- Improving habitat health and connectivity across the South Maroochy landscape
- Reducing bank erosion along our waterways
- Increase the water quality within the catchment
- Increased resilience to climate change and adverse weather events
Environment
- Assisting recovery and protection of local native species
- Improving habitat health and connectivity
- Reducing bank erosion
- Increase the water quality within the catchment
- Increased resilience to climate change
About the South Maroochy Catchment
The South Maroochy catchment extends for approximately 91.34 square kilometres and encompasses Wappa, Cooloolabin and Poona Dams. Seqwater operates a water treatment plant (WTP) at Image Flat. The WTP provides safe, reliable drinking water supply to Nambour, Yandina, Eumundi and coastal towns north of the Maroochy River. The main rivers and creeks flowing into the drinking water supply treatment plant are South Maroochy River, Rock of Ages, Platypus and Echinda Creeks.
Some of the special features of the catchment include endangered rainforest ecosystems along creeks. This ecosystem is habitat for the vulnerable Richmond birdwing butterfly. Platypus have also been known to inhabit the creeks and rivers of the South Maroochy, and the catchment is also home to the vulnerable tusked frog and the endangered barred frog.
The South Maroochy Rivercare is proudly provided by ECOllaboration in partnership with
The South Maroochy River extends through towns such as Yandina and Cooloolabin
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I find out more about the program?
You can find out more about the program by attending one of our workshops.
The workshops will help you learn to manage your land with water quality in mind, benefitting you, your community, and the South Maroochy River, providing opportunities to learn about:
- The South Maroochy Rivercare program
- Impacts of water quality for local drinking water supply
- What a healthy river looks like
- What actions impact a healthy river system
- Threats to freshwater flora and fauna
- What you can do to improve water quality and waterway health.
You can contact Aleisha via the details above if you are interested in attending our next workshop or sign up to our Mailing List via the footer below.
Am I eligible?
This program is open to landholders whose properties sit within the South Maroochy Catchment, which encompasses Kiamba, Cooloolabin, Yandina, Image Flat, Highworth, Kureelpa and Mapleton.
Eligibility is based on the property’s proximity to water source, land management practices and evidence of erosion or transformer weeds, alongside the landholder’s willingness to participate.
Funding eligibility is also based on:
- The landholder’s property location and overall property and environmental need*
- The landholder’s ability to make or obtain an “in-kind” contribution towards the project, either financially, or through labour or other input
- Attending an information workshop
- Taking part in property planning including completing a Best Management Practice property assessment with ECOllaboration and making a simple property water quality plan with 1-1 support (Active level members)
Entry level program participants can apply for competitive grant funding on a year by year basis for project assistance up to the value of $5000.
Active level members can access multi-year, locked-in funding support for projects in their approved property water quality plan.
*Landholders with property on the South Maroochy River or tributaries up to 25km upstream of the Image Flat drinking water offtakes are eligible to access funding under the program.
All funding support is subject to participation in the South Maroochy Rivercare program and an eligibility assessment.
What other benefits are there to joining?
If eligible, landholders who become a part of this partnership program can receive multi-year funding and assistance in implementing on-ground works that achieve improved land management and water quality in the catchment. Some benefits to joining this program include:
- Increase the value of your property
- Increase the water quality on your property and within the catchment
- Increased property resilience to climate change and natural disasters
- Increased productivity of your farm
- Enhanced visual amenity
- Reduced risk of livestock disease and infection
- Enhance natural vegetation and biodiversity
- Encourage native habitat for local animals
- Increase community connections through landholder workshops and property visits
- Increased streambank stability, reduced sediment and nutrient runoff
ECOllaboration’s Commitment to the
Maroochy River
The Maroochy River has incredibly high environmental and community value, containing diverse aquatic ecosystems, holding cultural significance to traditional owners, supplying key drinking water sources and supporting recreational tourism.
Our goal is to help protect and restore the Maroochy through a comprehensive multifaceted approach, from revegetating dam sites right through to removing rubbish along coastal zones, here are some of our other projects dedicated to this invaluable natural asset.
RIVER PATROL
Target: Maroochy River Mouth & Inlets
Mission: Remove litter and marine debris to protect marine wildlife from entanglement and improve their habitats
WATER MONITORING
Target: Creeks & rivers fed by the Maroochy
Mission: Identify and report on water quality trends across over 40 river and creek sites
