Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is celebrating another clean and green milestone with the Brisbane River announced as the world’s first resilient river.
Cr Schrinner welcomed the International River Foundation’s decision to recognise efforts to ensure the Brisbane River recovers and evolves following extreme weather events.
“We walk, run and cycle by it, we use CityCats to travel on it, we dine next to it and some people are lucky enough to live beside it. Our river really is the foundation of Brisbane’s fantastic lifestyle,” he said.
“But like a lot of rivers, it can also break its banks and cause major flooding.
“From the 1974 floods to the 2011 floods, these major weather events can effect the health of our river, increasing erosion and sediment and damaging vegetation and aquatic ecosystems.
“The International RiverFoundation’s 1000+ Resilient Rivers campaign aims to profile rivers that can quickly recover from disturbances, adapt to changes and to improve through innovation and implementation of resilience strategies.
“Recognition of the Brisbane River as the world’s first resilient river is a testament to the hard work we’ve invested into improving the health of our waterways.
“This financial year, we’re investing more than $4 million into the Natural Waterway Rehabilitation program and we’re also investing $5 million into the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, which supports more than 150 Habitat Brisbane and community catchment groups and more than 800 Wildlife Conservation partners. Together they look after more than 1000 bushland restoration sites across the city.
“We continue to work in partnership with other levels of government, neighbouring local councils, traditional owners, community groups, businesses and industries to ensure the Brisbane River, which passes through a number of local governments as it makes its way to Moreton Bay, is the hallmark of resilience”
Cr Schrinner said the resilient river status also globally recognised the community’s ability to respond and recover in times of drought, flood and severe storms.
“Brisbane’s FloodSmart Future Strategy 2013-2031 has proven highly effective in minimising the impact of flooding on people, property and infrastructure,” he said.
“Perhaps one of our biggest recent achievements is the implementation of the Flood Resilient Homes Program, in which we work with communities that are impacted by frequent flooding, to prepare for and recover from flood events.
“Brisbane is a resilient, flexible and adaptable community and we look forward to continuing to deliver a range of initiatives that make Brisbane an even cleaner, greener and more sustainable city.”
The 1000+ Resilient Rivers campaign, which named the Brisbane River as the inaugural resilient river, was launched at the 24th International Riversymposium.
In recent years, Council has also:
- Committed $100 million investment over 20 years into the revitalising of Oxley Creek.
- Made significant investment in the Norman Creek 2012-2031 Project to revitalise an entire inner-city catchment. Norman Creek in Hanlon Park has been naturalised, enhancing the aquatic environment and park with more trees and natural spaces.
- Invested over $3 million in the upper Brisbane River Catchment to prevent erosion and reduce sediment entering the Brisbane River and ending up in Moreton Bay.
- Banned single use plastic straws, as well as phasing out of helium balloons and plastic water bottles at Council events.
For more information visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call Council on 3403 8888.
Visit www.adrianschrinner.com.au/brisbane-news to keep up to date with what’s happening in Brisbane.
