About

Resilient Rivers South East Queensland (RRSEQ) is a successful partnership between Council of Mayors (SEQ), South East Queensland Councils, the Australian Government, the Queensland Government, water utilities, key regional waterways and catchment organisations and the community. For almost 10 years it has delivered coordinated catchment management to improve the health and resilience of South East Queensland’s catchments, waterways and Moreton Bay, a Ramsar internationally important wetland.  

Initially, Resilient Rivers was established as a response to the devastation of the 2011 and 2013 floods in South East Queensland, when it was  recognised that coordinated catchment management that crosses local government boundaries is needed to protect our drinking water and keep soil on the land to grow food and out of waterways and Moreton Bay Ramsar site. At its core, Resilient Rivers recognises that we can deliver more through collaboration, cooperation and coordination than working alone.  

Resilient Rivers South East Queensland was launched with the development of a South East Queensland Resilient Rivers Initiative Regional Strategy 2015-2025. The Resilient Rivers Initiative Regional Strategy set the direction for management of waterways and has guided the successful delivery of more than $8.3 million of investment to deliver priority works to protect and improve SEQ’s waterways, working collaboratively with its partners and the community. An economic study undertaken in 2020 revealed that the $4.3 million worth of investment that had taken place at that point in time provided an additional $3.8 million of returns for local government area regions, in the form of local capital and employment.  

The success of the RRSEQ, and its ability to have even greater success, has been recognised by significant further investment through the South East Queensland City Deal. The SEQ City Deal is a tripartite commitment between the Australian Government, Queensland Government and the Council of Mayors (SEQ) to positively transform SEQ by delivering a significant package of initiatives generating thousands of local jobs, boosting digital and transport connectivity, supporting the local environment, enhancing liveability and creating thriving communities.  

The SEQ City Deal commits $40 million over the next five years (until 2028) to fund works to improve the health and resilience of the region’s rivers and waterways. Under the SEQ City Deal, the RRSEQ aligns within the outcome for a more liveable SEQ, which aims to deliver a healthy, sustainable and liveable region through new investments in urban amenities and blue and green environmental assets.  

Vision

Our region’s waterways and wetlands are healthy and resilient, sustained through regional partnership and the community’s stewardship to preserve and enhance their cultural, economic, and life-sustaining value. 

Key goals support the achievement of our vision. The Resilient Rivers: SEQ Waterways and Wetlands Investment Strategy focuses on elevating above the business-as-usual activities of our partner’s effort to achieve outcomes at a regional scale where cross-boundary and cross-jurisdiction coordination and partnership is essential for success.  

The initiative aims to improve the health of our waterways by achieving the following goals:  

  • Prioritise action that will protect, maintain and enhance the ecosystem services and values provided by the region’s waterways and wetlands, using robust information, science and knowledge 
  • Promote partnerships with strong leadership and good governance to influence planning and policy in the region to support achievement of the vision 
  • Facilitate landholder, community and industry stewardship of waterways and wetlands 
  • Incorporate First Nations cultural values and ecological management for waterways and catchments through robust engagement and collaboration  
  • Be a beacon for waterway and wetland investment in the region, working in partnership to realise desired environmental outcomes and investors needs 

Values

To achieve the vision, we must understand the intrinsic and existence values and ecosystem services being provided by waterways and wetlands. Stakeholder engagement identified six overarching categories of ecosystem services and values which are important to the people of SEQ. These underpin decision making for management intervention investment for Resilient Rivers.   

Resilience

Resilience means that waterways and wetlands (being rivers, streams, wetlands, groundwater, estuaries and their catchments) can adapt to pressures (e.g. a growing population and climate change) and are prepared for threats (e.g. floods and droughts) enabling them to continue providing ecosystem services and values (e.g. water quality, biodiversity and amenity) that are indicative of good condition.

Biodiversity

South East Queensland is one of the most diverse bioregions in the world with a number of ecological features (such as waterways, rainforests, fauna) of international significance which are loved by the community and tourists alike. Hundreds of threatened and migratory species depend on the extent and connectivity of natural areas in the region for their survival and the regions’ waterways support a number of iconic species such as dugongs, turtles, platypus and lungfish.

Water and Food Security

Waterways and wetlands sustain our lives, livelihoods and lifestyles providing fit-for-purpose water, both in terms of quality and quantity, to grow the food we eat, the materials we manufacture and the water we drink. 

Cultural

For First Nations peoples, the waterways are the arteries of the land. Land, sky, water and people are connected and inseparable. Water is of critical importance for the health of Country and its people. 

Social and Amenity

Our unique waterways support our quality of life as well as our mental and physical wellbeing. The natural scenic amenity of the region’s waterways and their biodiversity value is one of its greatest assets for tourism and migration, being highly sought after for its recreational opportunities such as fishing, watercraft, swimming and nature immersion.

Scientific and Research Excellence

The uniqueness and richness of the SEQ region makes it an ideal location for study and the pursuit of knowledge. It is a centre of scientific excellence with a high quality of understanding of the functions and processes that shape the region, which brings confidence and trust for investors interested in influencing its condition.