Projects
Neighbourhood Catchments
Neighbourhood Catchment activities target areas that have been identified through a prioritisation process. The priority areas have been selected in consideration of values such as biodiviversity, salinity, sediment delivery, weeds and community activity.
The FRCC Neighbourhood Catchment process includes:
- Community engagement through one on one phone calls, Information sessions and a mail out targeting landholders in the priority area.
- An incentive program for on-ground works delivered through individual and group project development and property planning activities.
- A follow-up monitoring program to detect changes at a catchment and property scale.
- A capacity building program designed around the needs of the target community and delivered through workshops, field days and bus trips.
Neighbourhood Catchment on-ground projects broadly cover the following activities:
- Riparian fencing and off-stream watering systems on grazing properties
- Improving cropping practices
- Strategic weed control
- Protecting remnant vegetation and biodiversity values on property
- Improving the management of saline areas
- Improving the management of wetlands
- Water use effeciency initiatives on horticultural properties.
Neighbourhood Catchment capacity building programs may focus on:
- Grazing land management and pasture identification
- Monitoring land condition and observing ground cover
- Water monitoring and testing
- Fire Management, bushland management, weed management for small blocks
- Property Management Planning and Topographic mapping
- Weed identification and control strategies
- Healthy soils.
Landcare Support
The FRCC supports Landcare Groups located within the catchment as much as possible. Linkages with these important community groups are strengthened by staff attending their meetings and assisting the groups with preparing funding submissions.
Other Partnerships
The FRCC plays an important role in facilitating community, industry and government partnerships to achieve improved natural resource management within the Fitzroy River and coastal catchments area. Current projects that involve other partner organisations include:
- Working with the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries on the Reeflink project to enhance coastal beef production systems.
- Member of the Rockhampton Effluent Utilisation Study Advisory Committee coordinated by Fitzroy River Water.
- Coordinating activities associated with a wetland project in partnership with Stanwell Corporation Ltd.
- Managing the Great Barrier Reef Coastal Wetland Protection Program to coordinate wetland habitat restoration activities across the Southern Fitzroy Floodplain. Project partners include Wetland Care Australia, private landholders, Fitzroy Shire Council, Fitzroy Basin Association, Central Queensland University, Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland and Birds Australia.