Condamine Alliance and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority have teamed up to help rebuild the Condamine catchment after the 2011 floods.

The Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Program provides funding and resources to repair the damage and make our catchment stronger and safer.

There's lots to do in our area and we're already making great progress.

Local landholders, community groups and organisations are helping us with recovery activities across five main areas:

• Rubbish removal
• Gully stabilisation
• Research and modelling
• Weed control
• Riverbank restoration

Rubbish removal - cleaning up our waterways

Heavy rain and flood waters during the 2010-11 storm season swept tonnes of rubbish and debris into our catchment's waterways.

Now the clean up is on with a rubbish blitz of our major creeks and rivers.

Condamine Alliance has teamed up with local councils, landholders, community groups and Conservation Volunteers Australia to get the job done under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Program.

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Gully stabilisation - repairing our gullies

Heavy rain and flood waters during the 2010-11 storm season put the soils of the Condamine catchment to the test.

While much of the catchment was protected from severe soil loss thanks to extensive groundcover, good land management and soil conservation practices, serious erosion did occur in some parts.

Flood waters ripped large gullies in areas especially near waterways, roads and irrigation equipment.

To stop these gullies from getting worse, Condamine Alliance will identify five priority sites to receive repair works under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Program.

Condamine Alliance together with the community, local landholders and the Condamine Emeritus Science Group will coordinate works to stabilise and repair these areas using post-flood surveys and mapping and soil movement modelling.

How do we repair our gullies?

Reduce areas vulnerable to soil movement
Protect erosion-sensitive areas
Establish groundcover

 

Research and modelling - backed up by science

The Condamine Alliance flood recovery program is supported by rigorous science and evaluation.
While on-the-ground activities occur throughout the Condamine catchment, a team of experts will be conducting field research to gather evidence about the effectiveness of the flood repair works and how future damage can be minimised.
The research will include gully and stream bank erosion modelling to determine the best way to reduce soil erosion in the event of future flooding. This involves testing the root strength of the native grass Lomandra to see how it reduces erosion when planted en masse.
International erosion expert Dr Andrew Simon from Cardno Entrix in USA will lead the modelling research in Toowoomba, Dalby and East Greenmount.
Overall, the research component of the Flood Recovery Program will provide a big-picture view of how the repair works have helped the catchment and what can be done differently in the future.
Our research partners are:

• Cardno Entrix, USA
• Cardno, Sydney
• Condamine Emeritus Science Group
• Dr Jeff Coutts
• Dr Jim Cavaye

Weed control - preventing the noxious spread

Rubbish and debris were not the only things strewn throughout the Condamine catchment during the 2010-11 floods.

A less visible but more invasive scourge is the spread of noxious weeds.

This threat persists long after the heavy rains and floodwaters have gone away.

Condamine Alliance is working with Biosecurity Queensland, local councils, landholders and community groups to help put a stop to this noxious spread by treating 60 hectares in the flood zone.

Weed control efforts are particularly focused on Chilean needle grass which is nationally recognised because of its aggressive and invasive habit.

The Darling Downs has the unfortunate claim to the only Chilean needle grass infestation in Queensland.

This weed is bad news for the catchment’s agricultural industry as it takes over pasture and irritates pets and livestock with its sharp and penetrating barb.

The most common way the weed is spread is by vehicles and water which makes floods a perfect reason for new infestations to occur.

This project will significantly reduce the spread of Chilean needle grass throughout the Condamine catchment and downstream environments.

Riverbank restoration - restoring our river habitats

Riverbanks in the Condamine catchment were some of the hardest hit areas during the 2010-11 floods.

The flood waters may have gone but the evidence of their destructive path remains.

Erosion is now a significant issue for many sections of the catchment’s waterways. In some parts, watercourses have even cut new paths.

Luckily, areas with extensive groundcover and in-stream vegetation were protected, proving that good riparian land management practice is essential to looking after our waterways.

This is exactly what Condamine Alliance hopes to achieve together with Western Downs Regional Council and catchment landholders through its riverbank restoration activities.

Activities will involve planting native groundcover and trees to protect vulnerable stream and river bank areas.

Plantings will take place over Autumn and Spring this year.