Lake Macdonald Catchment Creekcare Program

Looking after the health of the land and waterways within our drinking water catchments is critical to a safe water supply and providing water for life.

The Lake Macdonald Catchment Creekcare Program is a community driven water quality improvement program developed by Lake Macdonald Catchment landholders in collaboration with the Noosa and District Landcare and Seqwater.

The program reflects the needs and interests of Lake Macdonald Catchment landholders whilst protecting the quality of our local drinking water supplies and providing positive environmental outcomes for the Catchment and the local community.

Drinking Water Risks

Certain contaminants in water are deemed hazardous and can pose a significant risk to public health and the health of the natural environment.

They include:

• Pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms) from stock faeces and human waste,
• Sediment from erosion and the disturbance of stream banks,
• Chemicals from inappropriate pesticide and herbicide use and waste disposal, and
• Nutrients from fertilisers, as well as from stock faeces and urine.

Pathogens, like the common nasty bacteria, E. coli, pose the greatest risk to drinking water quality and human health.

Power of the people

With a large proportion of the catchment being owned and managed by our community, the actions of landholders can have a direct impact on our drinking water supply.

Implementing regenerative and sustainable land practices can help restore and protect ecological systems that support good water quality. This will have mutual benefits to your property, like improved productivity, increased value, and enhanced amenity and the environment with improved biodiversity, habitat connectivity, carbon storage and more.

How you can get involved

The Lake Macdonald Catchment Creekcare Program brings landholders and local experts together to share knowledge and find ways to prevent sediment, nutrients and pathogens, such as livestock faeces, from entering the lake, while supporting the productivity and health of their properties.

The program has two levels – Community level and Active level. Catchment landholders can choose the level of involvement and benefits they receive.

Program Levels

Benefits

• Native plant voucher and weed resource.

• Access free workshops and events on things that interest you. See next page for a list of workshops planned for the next 12 months.

• Connect with and learn from other local landholders at workshops and via the Facebook group (Lake Macdonald Catchment Creekcare) on a regular basis.

• Getting to know your creek and native plants and animals better.

• Be able to ask us questions and get advice on managing weeds, restoration activities and improving water quality.

• Receive a free program sign for your property gate!

Active level

Community level plus:

• Your property is located within our priority stream reaches (see map here) or has Cat’s Claw Creeper Vine or Madeira Vine on your property.

• Property best land management practice assessment and property water quality plan developed by Noosa Landcare in consultation with the landholder. This includes a property visit.

• Implement project/s with landholder in-kind commitment (i.e. financial support or labour support to a project).

Benefits

Community level plus:

• Receive a tailored property water quality plan to identify projects for your property that can offer cost/ time savings, increased land / farm productivity and healthier waterways and natural areas.

• a A3 aerial map of your property incorporating your grazing land type, contours and waterways, vegetation, and nearby project sites in your neighbourhood.

• Multi-year locked in financial incentives from Seqwater and other sources.

Financial Incentives

Financial incentives are only available to Active level participants. The amount of funding available to Active level participants is based on:

• Location within priority reaches – see map here.
• Your ability to make or obtain an “in-kind” contribution towards the project, either financially, or through your labour or other input.
• Attending the annual Lake Macdonald Catchment Creekcare information session.
• Taking part in property planning, including completing a Best Management Practice property assessment with Noosa and District Landcare and making a simple property water quality plan with 1-1 support.

What We Fund

• Installation of waterway, dam and gully fencing to control livestock access.
• Installation of stock watering from waterways or wetlands – e.g. stock watering points (tanks, troughs).
• Revegetation of eroding streambanks – e.g. planting native seedlings adapted to streambanks.
• Weed control for Cat’s Claw Creeper (Dolichandra unguis-cati) and/or Madeira Vine (Anredera cordifolia).

Other project activities may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please get in contact with us if you have a project we can work together on.

Join our next event!

*Event dates to be released to program signed up participants via email and through the program Facebook page. Dates subject to change.

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