The significant rainfall and flooding associated with the 2021/2022 severe weather event from Ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth between 29 December 2021 – 10 January 2022 resulted in severe erosion along sites on the Flinders River.
As a result, recovery assistance was activated through the jointly funded Australian and Queensland Governments’ Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). The DRFA provided funding under the Environmental Recovery Program (ERP) to support the rehabilitation and restoration of rain and flood-affected environments and environmental assets in order to maintain healthy ecosystems and other environmental values and improve resilience for future disaster events.
Following the severe weather event, Southern Gulf NRM collaborated with landowners and local councils to assess the damage. They identified high-priority erosion zones through aerial reconnaissance, pinpointing three critical locations on the Flinders River near Hughenden, including a site at the local Hughenden Golf Club.
Following cultural heritage surveys by Traditional Owners, Verterra Engineering will implement a multi-pronged restoration approach across the three riverine restoration sites and will include:
Living Pile Fields: Engineered structures consisting of rows of piles (living trees) planted into the riverbed, designed to slow the water flow and promote sediment deposition.
Revegetation: Planting native grasses, trees, and shrubs and mulching large areas to promote vegetation growth and offer long-term protection to the riparian zone.
The objective of the Riverine Recovery Program is to ensure:
Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) – Queensland Reconstruction Authority
This project is being delivered by Southern Gulf NRM and is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
