About the Upper Mary Rivercare Progam
The Upper Mary Rivercare Program is a community driven water quality improvement program developed by upper Mary landholders in collaboration with the Mary River Catchment Coordinating Committee (MRCCC) and Seqwater.
The program reflects the needs and interests of Upper Mary landholders whilst protecting the quality of the local drinking water supplies, and providing positive environmental outcomes for the Mary River and the local community.
Landholders with property on the Mary River and tributaries within 25 km upstream of Seqwater’s town water supply intake at Kenilworth and Goomong (near Tuchekoi) are invited to participate in the program.
The program has two levels – entry level and active level. Eligible landholders can choose the level of involvement and benefits they receive.
Joining Upper Mary Rivercare helps landholders access financial incentives* aimed at saving time and money whilst restoring your property’s natural environment.
- financial incentives from Seqwater* (depending on eligibility) and other sources
- connections in your area with local landholders
- information and expertise on
- improving land management
- your natural environment, and our waterway health
- how to get more native flora and fauna on your land
- enjoying the natural landscape and the beautiful Mary River.
- planning support to identify projects for your property that may also offer:
- cost/ time savings
- increased land / farm productivity
- healthier waterways and natural areas.
*Funding support is subject to participation in the Upper Mary Rivercare program and an eligibility assessment.
Community benefits of joining the Upper Mary Rivercare program include:
- helping protect the quality of Kenilworth and Noosa’s drinking water supplies
- increasing connections across the Upper Mary community
- creating improved information networks
- helping protect and support local businesses
- helping protect the recreation, economic and lifestyle opportunities for the Upper Mary community and surrounds.
Environmental benefits of joining the Upper Mary Rivercare program include:
- Assisting recovery of threatened species such as the Mary River cod, Mary River turtle and Queensland lungfish
- Improving habitat health and connectivity across the landscape
- Reducing bank erosion along our waterways
- Improving water quality.
Find out more by attending a Gateway workshop
The Gateway Workshop will help you learn to manage your land with water quality in mind, benefitting you, your community, and the Mary River, providing opportunities to learn about:
- The Upper Mary Rivercare program and available Seqwater funding for projects on your land*
- Impacts of water quality for local drinking water supply
- What a healthy river looks like
- What actions impact a healthy river system
- Threats to freshwater flora and fauna
- What you can do to improve water quality and waterway health
*Funding support is subject to participation in the Upper Mary Rivercare program and an eligibility assessment.
How is funding eligibility assessed?
Funding eligibility is based on:
- Your location and overall property and environmental need*
- Your ability to make or obtain an “in-kind” contribution towards the project, either financially, or through your labour or other input
- Attending the Gateway Workshop (Entry** and Active*** level members)
- Taking part in property planning including completing a Best Management Practice property assessment with MRCCC and making a simple property water quality plan with 1-1 support (active members)
*Landholders with property on the Mary River or tributaries up to 25km upstream of the Kenilworth and Goomong drinking water offtakes are eligible to access funding under the program
**Entry Level program participants can apply for competitive grant funding on a year by year basis for project assistance up to the value of $5000.
*** Active level members can access multi-year, locked-in funding support for projects in their approved property water quality plan.
Landholders in the Mary Catchment interested in joining the Upper Mary Rivercare Program should download and complete an Expression of Interest then mail or email it to the MRCCC at admin@mrccc.org.au, or care of PO Box 1027, Gympie, 4570, or drop it in to our office at 25 Stewart Terrace, Gympie.
For more information, contact the MRCCC on 07 5482 4766 or email admin@mrccc.org.au
The first edition of the Upper Mary Rivercare newsletter is available to read now! Click here to view.
