DRFA Riparian Recovery Program

In 2019, the Monsoon Trough flood event resulted in major damage to riparian zones in the area. This resulted in the activation of Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements in the region. The project is jointly funded by the Queensland and Australian Government Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), which provides financial assistance to help communities, businesses and the environment recover from eligible disaster events. The DRFA activation included a $36 million Environmental Recovery Package (under Category D Exceptional Circumstances) to rehabilitate and restore flood-affected riverine and coastal environments in order to maintain healthy ecosystems and improve resilience for future disaster events.

The project included two stages, the first being to undertake reconnaissance to identify environmental impacts from the North and Far North Queensland Monsoon Trough 2019, with the second stage being to rehabilitate and restore riverine, wetland and riparian environments affected by the event.

At Site ER-1, the river bank was reprofiled to a stable grade with an additional 695 tonnes of rock placed at the toe of the bank to armour the bank and prevent subsoil slumping from the bank into the river. The site was revegetated with a mix of grass and legume species and 1235 trees planted at 1.5 metre spacings, as well as 72 bales of rhodes grass mulch hay. An irrigation system was set up and water will be supplied to the site for the full 2022 dry season. The outcomes and benefits include the protection of infrastructure at Mt Olive, the restoration of riparian vegetation connectivity and the prevention of an estimated 52 tonnes of fine sediment from flowing to the coast each year. 

At Site ER-2, the eroded bank was reprofiled, seven timber pile retards were installed and 246 tonnes of rock beaching was placed around the first three retards. The site was revegetated with a mix of seven grass and legume species and planted with 518 trees at 2-metre spacings, with mulch bunds placed along the contour at 4-metre intervals. The outcomes and benefits include the protection of productive grazing land, prevention of channel avulsion of the Endeavour River and Lily Creek, restoration of riparian vegetation connectivity and the prevention of an estimated 583 tonnes of fine sediment from flowing to the coast each year.