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 landholders whilst also providing positive environmental outcomes for the Mary River and protecting the quality of Kenilworth’s drinking water supply.
Landholders with property on the Mary River and tributaries within 25 km upstream of Seqwater’s town water supply intake at Kenilworth are invited to participate in the program.
The program has two levels – entry level and active. 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 farm’s natural environment.
Benefits of joining the program include access to:
- 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.
Joining the Upper Mary Rivercare program protects Kenilworth’s drinking water quality supply and supports local tourism businesses.
Community benefits of joining the Upper Mary Rivercare program include:
- helping protect Kenilworth’s town water quality drinking supply
- increasing connections across the Kenilworth community
- creating improved information networks
- helping protect and support local businesses who depend on the tourism visitors the Mary River attracts
- 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 Australian 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, Kenilworth, 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 town water supply
- What a healthy river looks like
- What actions impact a healthy river system
- How water quality testing works
- Where water quality testing happens in our catchment, including the Catchment Crawl, and pathogen testing
- How local flora and fauna react to changes in water quality.
*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)**
- Filling out and returning the program’s Expression of Interest (Active members***)
- Taking part in property planning including completing a Best Management Practice survey with MRCCC and making a simple farm water quality plan for your property with 1-1 support (active members)
*Landholders with property on the Mary River or tributaries up to 25km upstream of the Kenilworth drinking water offtake 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 $5000 value.
*** Active level members can access multi-year, locked-in funding support for projects in their approved water quality plan.
For more information, contact the MRCCC on 07 5482 4766 or email uppermaryrivercare@mrccc.org.au
