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Healthy Waterways, Rivers and Wetlands Program
This program addresses the decline of water quality in the Fitzroy Basin, and flowing into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, by protecting and improving riparian zones and wetlands. The program also seeks to improve movement of aquatic species through artificial barriers, e.g. dams and weirs. [pdf 1.0 Mb]


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Healthy Waterways, Rivers & Wetlands

Central Queensland ’s water quality assets are under pressure from poor ground cover, land clearing, water contaminants, invasive plants and animals, modification of riparian zones, floodplains and wetlands, stream bank erosion, waterway development, barriers to species movement and cost of changing management practices.

The Healthy Waterways program seeks to aid in reduction of pressure to these assets through

  • Working toward realistic and achievable water quality targets
  • Protecting and restoring valuable riparian zones and wetlands
  • Engaging community in water monitoring and awareness activities, as well as conducting additional water quality monitoring across the region
  • Improving movement of aquatic species through barriers

Riparian and Wetland Protection

The Fitzroy Basin Association is committed to implementing on-ground activities to rehabilitate and protect of our natural assets. Although we are involved in planning, we see this as a vehicle to meet our primary goal of increasing on-ground actions that sustain and improve our natural resources. The Healthy Waterways program is no different. As a result of commitments in the  2005/06 financial year alone, FBA and landholders protected 13,253ha of riparian native vegetation and 844ha of wetland native vegetation using fencing and off-stream watering points with over 500km of fence lines. These actions will enhance management practices resulting in increased groundcover; reduced gullying, and increased bank stability - all of which are known to improve water quality and in-stream aquatic health.

Planning and Research for Waterway Improvement

The Fitzroy Basin Association is involved in planning and research to assist in meeting our primary goal of increasing on-ground actions that sustain and improve our waterways. This includes collaboration with research providers and planning for the setting of realistic and achievable water quality targets.

Overcoming the Barriers - Fishways

The Fitzroy Basin Association is working in the region to identify, prioritise and overcome barriers to fish and other aquatic life movement.

Healthy Waterways for the Community

Community involvement is the key to any water quality improvement for our region. Find out more about what our community has been up to in the region. This includes training and capacity building events that FBA have coming up or have held and sponsored.

Activities in our Natural Resource Management Plan

The Central Queensland Strategy for Sustainability is FBA’s accredited Natural Resource Management Plan. This plan incorporates all aspects of our region’s natural resources including water quality, riparian integrity and wetland health.

All Content © Fitzroy Basin Association 2007