MRCCC-Seqwater Source Protection Partnership
The MRCCC’s partnership with Seqwater is entering the 3rd year of a 5 year partnership in 2023-2024, continuing the work of improving water quality upstream of the drinking water offtakes operated by Seqwater at Kenilworth and Goomong, in the Mary River catchment. These water quality improvement projects delivered by MRCCC in partnership with riparian landholders are designed to reduce sediment, pathogens, and nutrient risks to drinking water offtakes.
Each year, the MRCCC compiles an annual performance report for Seqwater, detailing completed projects with information, photos and costings for each project. See the table below for a summary of projects completed in the 2022/23 financial year. In addition, considerable MRCCC staff time is being invested into the development and implementation of the Upper Mary Rivercare Program, compiling information on all of our past Seqwater projects to develop an asset register for Seqwater, liaising with contractors and engaging experts such as engineers for dairy effluent infrastructure design.
| Project Type | Outputs |
| Revegetation | 10,504 trees across 3.55 ha of riverbank |
| Riparian fencing | 1.2 km |
| Effluent management | 2 large-scale effluent management infrastructure upgrades |
| Vine weed control | 121 ha across 54 properties |
| Biocontrol releases | 20,100 bioagents released |
| Kenilworth Mary River turtle nest protection | 11 clutches relocated, 155 hatchlings released |
| Workshops | 2 Upper Mary Rivercare Gateway Workshops |
2023-2024 Annual Works Plan
MRCCC’s works plan for the 2023/24 financial year includes the continued treatment of Cat’s Claw creeper vine (CCC) and Madeira vine (MV) upstream of Kenilworth focusing on the Mary River, Obi Obi Creek, Walli Creek, Chinaman Creek and Little Yabba Creek and Goomong focusing on the Mary River, Chinamans Creek, Skyring Creek and possibly Yabba Creek).
Long-term weed treatment programs are incredibly important when working with pervasive and vigorous weeds such as CCC and MV. Madeira vine is fast becoming our core target species, particularly in Kenilworth, due to its prolific growth rate of up to one metre per week, and the time and care required to control it. Unlike Cat’s claw vine, Madeira vine cannot be cut, as this results in viable aerial tubers falling to the ground to recolonize the area. The leaves and stem of the vine will also shoot when in contact with moist soil. Instead, our contractors need to carefully isolate canopy vines from trees and other vines, before scraping and painting the vine with a suitable herbicide.
Other project types planned through the Seqwater partnership include fencing and off-stream watering, revegetation and dairy effluent management improvement. This year we have a specific project budget focused on expanding our engagement with Traditional Owners.
Over the coming year, the MRCCC will 
be managing five large-scale riverbank rehabilitation projects on behalf of Seqwater, which are funded by the state and federal governments’ Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) to aid in post-flood recovery of the river. These projects include;
- “The Island”, Mary River at Kenilworth. Approximately 6,000 trees to increase resilience on the existing RTIV project site, including some repair work to 5-year-old pile field.
- Polley’s Island, Mary River at Kenilworth. 6,000 trees to be planted at the Mary River and Obi Obi confluence to increase resilience in the area across the river from the drinking water offtake.
- Revegetation of approximately 12,000 trees along 3 adjoining properties on the Mary River at Kenilworth. The project extent includes an area of pile fields recently installed through the Great Barrier Reef Foundation project.
- Repairs and further planting of 4,000 trees to an existing site at Goomong.
- New site at Goomong – 2 properties on either side of the Mary River. Approximately 12,000 trees to be planted along 2 km of riverbank, includes bank reprofiling and pile fields along 400m.
The image below shows some of the bank stabilisation and revegetation undertaken in the Kenilworth reach of the Mary River.
