Reef Assist – Business Activation and Environmental Restoration
| Investment | $2 million |
|---|---|
| Goal | 4. A sustainable destination that embraces and participates in the arts, sports and events and recreational activities. |
| Strategic Purpose | To conduct environmental restoration works through the Queensland Government’s Reef Assist Program. This phase of the Reef Assist Program focuses on Townsville Landscape Regeneration through First Nations Knowledge and Delivery, with a particular focus on jobs and upskilling. |
| Status | Underway |
Council successfully secured $2 million in project funding to conduct environmental restoration works through the Queensland Government’s Reef Assist Program. This phase of the Reef Assist Program focuses on Townsville Landscape Regeneration through First Nations Knowledge and Delivery, with a particular focus on jobs and upskilling.
The Reef Assist – Business Activation and Environmental Restoration project is proudly funded by the Queensland Government and delivered in partnership with Council. The project works with five local businesses to provide restoration works to the following catchment zones:
- Bohle River
- Black River
- Ross River
- Stuart Creek
- Magnetic Island.
The Environmental Restoration projects have been underway since 2023 and are expected to take ten months to complete, weather and conditions permitting.
Works will involve healing and strengthening key river, creek, and coastal ecosystems through:
- collaboration and connection with Traditional Owners and First Nations through employment outcomes
- removing and utilising weeds for building restorative humification works (weeds to healthy soils)
- adapting and developing innovative approaches for landscape restoration
- building and applying probiotic formulations to enhance micro/macro biology in key areas
- enhancing and building resilient deep and breathable soils
- seed collection, grow-out and planting of key native grassland and riverbank species
- fostering and regenerating existing grassland and woodlands through erosion control
- delivering key bank stabilisation, soft scaping and integrating natural products to inform best practice
- lower-cost ecological sensor deployment and data interpretation
- investigating and creating opportunities for ecotourism
- partnering with leading research institutions (UQ, JCU) to validate outcomes and build capacity and capability.
Works will be conducted by small teams undertaking environmental restoration, erosion remediation, landscaping enhancements and associated maintenance works to the riverbanks and sections of coastal waterways impacted/damaged, especially after the 2019 Monsoonal Weather event.
Proudly funded by the Queensland Government’s Reef Assist Program.
