Unitywater has commenced bank stabilisation and revegetation works at the most significant of nine sites along the lower Caboolture River, as part of one of Australia’s largest nutrient offsetting and river rehabilitation projects.
This $8 million project involves stabilisation and revegetation along 2.4km of the lower Caboolture River to reduce nutrient input by preventing riverbank erosion with earthworks to create a stable bank profile, installation of log groins to reduce the movement of sediment, and soil stabilisation through revegetation.
Unitywater CEO, Anna Jackson, said improving this waterway supports a healthy and thriving local environment and community.
“Our commitment to net zero nutrients to waterways by 2040 continues to challenge us to find new and innovative ways to achieve this, with the benefits to be realised by our customers and our own team members who are part of the local community,” Ms Jackson said.
“With the population relying on our Burpengary East Wastewater Treatment Plant expected to increase from 52,000 to 74,000 by 2026, we are taking action to balance the impact of nutrients being released to the river.”
Spanning 283m on the lower Caboolture riverbank, this ninth site has already moved 6809m3 of soil – equivalent to more than 3400 loads of an average ute – which aims to reduce the bank’s slope and improve stability and vegetation establishment conditions.
Ms Jackson said once earthworks are complete, 84 log structures would be placed to protect the riverbank from waves or the wake of boats.
“More than 220 mangrove seeds and 8000 other native plants will then be established along the bank where they will be protected by the log structures until they reach maturity and are able to stabilise the bank by themselves,” Ms Jackson said.
“This site alone will offset approximately 430kg of nutrients from the Caboolture River per year.
“An earlier rehabilitation site completed in October last year has already prevented 110kg of nutrients from entering these waterways, and the 4686 plants we established are thriving,” Ms Jackson said.
Across the entire program, Unitywater is planting 43,480 soil-stabilising plants, placing 444 erosion-reducing log structures and preventing 1600kg of nutrients from entering the Caboolture River.
For more information on the lower Caboolture River rehabilitation and nutrient offsetting project, visit https://www.unitywater.com/about-us/projects-in-your-area/major-projects/caboolture-river-nutrient-offset-project.
Featured image: Andrew Bower/shutterstock.com.
