News
23 July, 2025
$30M flows into SEQ’s rivers
MORETON Bay and Somerset rivers will be benefitting from a record $30 million to revitalise the health and resilience of South East Queensland (SEQ) waterways and wetlands, ahead of the 2032 Games.
Funding from the Resilient Rivers SEQ program will accelerate works to rehabilitate the region’s rivers and streams, preventing more than 16,000 tonnes — equivalent to over 21,000 ute loads — from entering local waterways each year.
The two-year investment (2025–26 and 2026–27) is the largest coordinated program of waterway and habitat revitalisation since the program was established following the 2011 floods.
Investment will help establish the first regional platypus monitoring program using innovative eDNA water sampling to uncover vital information about platypus as well as freshwater turtles and the endangered Australian Lungfish, a species that dates back over 100 million years.
More than 200 purpose-built ‘cod hotels’ will also be constructed to provide shelter and breeding habitat for the critically endangered Mary River Cod.
An additional 200,000 new native plants will support some of SEQ’s most vulnerable species, using cutting-edge science and natural solutions to combat invasive weeds.
The program is set to deliver long-term benefits across the region from Noosa River in the north to Albert River in the south, restoring more than 115 hectares, or 161 soccer fields, of native habitat.
Moreton Bay Mayor Peter Flannery welcomed Council’s share of the investment, which included more than $4.8 million in projects that will directly benefit the City.
The Caboolture River (Weir to Bruce Highway) Riparian Rehabilitation and Caboolture Arboretum Riparian Rehabilitation projects are amongst those benefitted, aiming to restore vegetation and provide protection from invasive weeds and enhance endemic biodiversity of species such as the platypus and koala.
“This funding will enable us to deliver projects designed to support the overall health of our waterways, which are vital to sustaining native plants and animals,” he said.
“These projects will shore up Council’s efforts to ‘Go Green as we Grow’, which is all about safeguarding our environment amid a booming population, while also improving water quality in Moreton Bay.”
A significant initiative for Moreton Bay will be the establishment of Catchment Action Plans for the Pine River and Caboolture River Catchments, which will guide coordinated efforts and future investments in these priority catchments.
Moreton Bay will also receive funding for other on-ground works including:
• Reconnecting 60 kilometres of fish passage across Beerburrum and Six Mile Creek catchments, improving movement for native fish;
• Planting 30,000 new plants around Cabbage Tree Creek to improve water quality, reduce erosion and boost habitat for species including reptiles, woodland birds, koala and platypus;
• Improving water quality, biodiversity and flood resilience with more than 3,000 new plants at Freshwater Reserve.
Somerset Regional Council Mayor Jason Wendt called Somerset rivers the “lifeblood” of the land, as they fill Brisbane’s taps, provide water for farming, and offer residents and visitors places to rest and play.
“Our Council will work closely with the program and our local stakeholders to ensure we deliver tangible benefits for the community,” he said.
“We will be installing large fish habitat structures and releasing up to 30,000 fingerlings across SEQ. In Somerset we will construct 200 new ‘cod hotels’, underwater log structures which will provide shelter and breeding habitat for the critically endangered Mary River Cod.”
Minister for the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Andrew Powell, called SEQ’s greatest “tourism drawcards” its natural assets: from the beautiful Moreton Bay to lush rainforests and our unique Aussie wildlife.
“Through the Resilient Rivers Initiative, we’re partnering with Councils to deliver real, on-the-ground action to restore waterways, revitalise native habitats and ensure Queensland’s natural beauty is protected for generations to come,” he said.
The newly announced Resilient Rivers SEQ program includes $21.3 million already committed through the SEQ City Deal, a partnership between the Federal Government, State Government and Council of Mayors SEQ, alongside the $8.7 million from partners including SEQ councils and Seqwater.
Resilient Rivers SEQ is an initiative of the Council of Mayors SEQ which aims to improve the resilience of SEQ’s waterways through coordinated catchment management.
