SEQWATER – MRCCC PARTNERSHIP (Jinibara, Kabi Kabi country)
In the fourth year of a five-year program, the 2021-2027 Seqwater-Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee (MRCCC) Partnership continues to build on successes of the past three years, and grow collaboration among Mary River Catchment landholders and community.
The Program was developed with the purpose of improving water quality upstream of the Goomong and Kenilworth offtakes on the Mary River. Projects therefore prioritise sediment, pathogen, and nutrient risk reduction to the upper catchment drinking water supplies.
By investing in source protection and integrated catchment management, Seqwater can reduce water treatment costs, improve asset life, and engage with communities and stakeholders in a way which demonstrates they are focused on collaborative actions to deliver a safe, reliable, resilient, and value-for-money water supply to the Sunshine Coast, Noosa and Gympie communities.
Building on extensive works delivered over previous years, in 2024-25, the MRCCC delivered over $3.6 million worth of water quality improvement projects in Seqwater target reaches of the Mary River catchment, incorporating approximately $1.1 million worth of Seqwater investment (including rolled funds), and over $2.5 million worth of co-contributions and in-kind from other financial contributors.
Collaboration, co-investment and leveraging resources
In addition to direct funding from Seqwater and in-kind from landholders and other sources, the MRCCC leverages significant investment for our projects from other funders of complementary programs and projects. This collaborative practice enables us to save Seqwater money and extend allocated project funding over additional years, maximising outputs and efficiencies, value-adding, and delivering more “bang for buck” to achieve our goals.
Partners in this collaborative practice include the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) and the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), and in the coming year, the Office of the Great Barrier Reef (OGBR). This year in particular, MRCCC has endeavoured to integrate the OGBR and Seqwater programs with a view to ongoing future engagement and significant in-kind investment to match Seqwater’s expenditure in the catchment.
Key deliverables
- Co-designed with landholders, Seqwater and MRCCC, the Upper Mary Rivercare program reflects the needs and interests of Upper Mary landholders, protects the quality of the local drinking water supplies, and provides positive environmental outcomes for the Mary River and local community. This year the program has grown to 52 participants; we have completed seven Best Management Practice (BMP) assessments with eligible landholders; and delivered and/or participated in 14 extension events.
- Rehabilitation, revegetation and maintenance of revegetated riparian areas by planting more than 29,320 native seedlings across 14 projects in the Kenilworth, Goomong and Cambroon reaches, with funding sourced through Seqwater, Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF).
- Engagement with nine dairy operators focussed on a range of projects and planning for improved water quality outcomes. Dairy engagement included co-hosting an effluent management workshop with Dairy Australia and a local dairy operator, and developing plans and designs for effluent management and effluent irrigation systems. Other dairy operators were engaged via workshops, MRCCC property visits, and BMP assessments. In 2024-25 the MRCCC also initiated engagement with the department of primary industry’s dairy team, with a view to future collaboration in dairy extension. Eight local dairy operators are now signed up to the Upper Mary Rivercare Program.
- Covering Kenilworth, Goomong and Cambroon reaches, Seqwater supported the continued control of vine weeds along Mary River and tributaries. Working with Hinterland Bushlinks, vine weed management was also carried out at Kenilworth, Lake Borumba and Cambroon. With Seqwater funding, we managed 485.3 Ha of riparian areas across 91 properties, with 15,500 biocontrol agents released in the Kenilworth and Goomong reaches of the Mary River.
- Through the annual MRCCC Catchment Crawl and the Mary Turtle Nest Protection and Monitoring project in Kenilworth, we continued supporting broad-reaching community and awareness raising.
Table 2. Key program outputs for 2024/25.
| Total | |
| Projects implemented | 19 |
| Dairy Projects engaged | 9 |
| Riparian fencing (length in metres) | 6,163m |
| Riparian area managed (ha) | 485.34Ha |
| Trees planted (native seedlings) | 29,320 |
| Cat’s claw and madeira vine bio-agents released
(number of insects) |
15,500 |
| Rivercare program participants | 52 |
| BMP assessments completed | 7 |
| Extension events (workshops, field days, field walks, etc.) | 14 |
The image below shows some of the bank stabilisation and revegetation undertaken in the Kenilworth reach of the Mary River.
