Fitzroy Water Quality Program

The Fitzroy Water Quality Program aims to stop 50,000 tonnes of fine sediment from the Fitzroy River basin entering the Reef’s waters every year.

This $19.6 million investment under the Reef Trust Partnership is supporting a series of projects focussed on improving landscape function through remediation of degraded land, including gullies and streambanks and improving land management, particularly of grazing and cropping lands. The program will run until June 2024.

Fitzroy Basin Association has been appointed by the Foundation as the regional partnership coordinator for the program. In that role, FBA will lead coordination between the on-ground projects, as well as engagement with landholders and other stakeholders in the region.

The Fitzroy Water Quality Program: Regional Program Plan and Communications Plan will guide the project and engagement activities for the Fitzroy Program. The Regional Program Plan is the umbrella document for the Regional Program. It provides background and outlines the objectives, scope and governance arrangements established for the program. It also includes a detailed program logic and a description of all projects included in the Program.

#Projects

The Fitzroy Alliance gully rehabilitation project for Reef water quality

Verterra
$5M

Rehabilitating alluvial gullies and streambanks and supporting practice change in surrounding grazing land to reduce sediment running off land in both the Fitzroy and Mackenzie catchments. The Fitzroy Alliance, which brings together Verterra, Alluvium Consulting, and Fitzroy Basin Association, is collaborating on planning, design and on-ground project delivery for healthy land and water quality benefits in the Fitzroy catchment.

FBA Sediment Reduction in the Fitzroy

Fitzroy Basin Association
$4.1M

Restoring streambanks, combining works of managing or excluding stock, strategic earthwork, installing infrastructure and revegetation in the Fitzroy region. As part of the Fitzroy Alliance, FBA are working collaboratively with Alluvium and Verterra on a stream reach/sub-catchment/neighbourhood catchment basis, in which works are being closely coordinated. FBA are also engaging Greening Australia to deliver revegetation works.

Streambank and gully erosion solutions for the Fitzroy Catchment

Catchment Solutions
$3.4M

Gully and streambank restoration project which includes stock exclusion and fencing, off-stream watering points to restore eroding stream banks and riparian vegetation. The project also aims to establish porous check dams, contour banks, diversion banks and gully and instream structures to reduce the amount of sediment running off into our Reef. Key project partners include Conservation Volunteers Australia, Griffith University and Neilly Group Engineering, with support from Grazing Best Practice.

Water quality improvements in the Fitzroy and Mackenzie river catchments

Fitzroy Basin Association
$1.7M

This project will improve riparian zones, implement land management practice change, demonstrate cost-effectiveness of streambank or gully stabilisation and erosion control activities, control and prevent further erosion in streambank and riparian areas and improve water quality of local river systems.

Mackenzie water quality program

Greening Australia
$1.6M

Improving grazing practices and undergoing targeted on-ground interventions to stabilise erosion on selected properties to reduce the amount of sediment and associated nutrients running off into the Mackenzie catchment.
Work is being undertaken with Traditional Owners to build Indigenous capacity and opportunities to create Reef Credits and additional co-benefits such as carbon storage are also being investigated.