Healthy Land and Water

Healthy Land and Water
Name	Healthy Land and Water
Formation	2009
Type	Not-for-profit environmental organisation
Headquarters	Brisbane, Queensland
Region served	Moreton Bay, Brisbane River, Logan River

Healthy Land and Water Healthy Land and Water is an environmental organisation focused on ecosystem restoration across the Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan catchments and the Moreton Bay region. The organisation works with partners to deliver projects that link urban planning, agricultural practice and coastal protection, coordinating with research institutions and government agencies to improve riverine and marine health. Its activities intersect with regional frameworks and collaborators from across Australia and internationally.

Overview

The organisation operates within the context of Queensland and Australian environmental management, collaborating with entities such as the Queensland Government, City of Brisbane, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Logan City Council, Ipswich City Council, University of Queensland, Griffith University, Queensland University of Technology, and research bodies including the CSIRO and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. It engages with catchment-scale initiatives linked to the Brisbane River, Bremer River, Logan River, Pumicestone Passage, and Moreton Bay ecosystems, and contributes to strategies aligned with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Reef Trust where catchment runoff affects coral reef systems. The organisation liaises with national programs such as the National Landcare Program and regional bodies including the Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership and the South East Queensland Catchments network.

Governance and Programs

Governance is structured with a board and executive management working alongside partners including federal bodies such as the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, state agencies like the Department of Environment and Science (Queensland), and statutory authorities including the Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland). Program delivery involves collaboration with non-government organisations such as Landcare Australia, Australian Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Australia Pacific, and peak industry bodies like the National Farmers' Federation and Agforce. Project management often connects with infrastructure agencies such as Department of Transport and Main Roads (Queensland) and regional statutory bodies like the Moreton Bay Regional Council and the SEQ Water Grid. Funding and oversight involve partnerships with philanthropic organisations such as the Ian Potter Foundation and research grants from the Australian Research Council.

Conservation and Restoration Initiatives

Restoration projects address riparian revegetation, wetland rehabilitation, and estuarine habitat protection, working with conservation groups including Bush Heritage Australia, WWF-Australia, The Nature Conservancy', and local landholders represented by Queensland Farmers' Federation. Initiatives have direct links to protected areas such as D'Aguilar National Park, Yeronga Park, Oxley Creek Common, and marine sites adjacent to Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island. Collaborative programs have drawn expertise from institutes like the Australian Centre for Biodiversity and conservation science teams at James Cook University and Southern Cross University.

Water Quality and Catchment Management

Water quality efforts target nutrient and sediment reduction in urban and agricultural landscapes, interfacing with regulatory frameworks like the Water Act 2000 (Queensland) and national assessments such as the State of the Environment (Australia) reports. Catchment management partnerships include regional alliances such as Catchment and Land Protection groups, utilities like Seqwater, and research collaborations with AIMS and the Australian Rivers Institute. Projects often support monitoring required by programs administered through the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and contribute data used by agencies including the Bureau of Meteorology and the Australian Bureau of Statistics for environmental reporting.

Community Engagement and Indigenous Partnerships

Community engagement programs partner with Traditional Owner groups and Indigenous organisations including the Quandamooka Yoolooburrabee Aboriginal Corporation, Turrbal people, Jagera people, and regional Aboriginal corporations, aligning withNative Title holders and cultural heritage frameworks like the Native Title Act 1993. Outreach includes education initiatives within institutions such as the Queensland Museum, Brisbane City Council libraries, State Library of Queensland, and school programs connected to the Australian Museum and local Landcare chapters. Volunteer and citizen science collaborations extend to organisations like Conservation Volunteers Australia, Bushcare, Sea Shepherd Australia, and community groups associated with Friends of the Earth (Brisbane).

Monitoring, Research, and Reporting

Scientific monitoring is undertaken with universities and research agencies such as the University of the Sunshine Coast, Murdoch University, Monash University, University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and research centres including the Australian Rivers Institute and Australian Centre for Field Robotics. Data sharing and reporting contribute to statewide and national assessments linked to the State of the Environment Committee and international obligations under conventions such as the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Ramsar Convention for wetland protection. Peer-reviewed outputs are often produced in collaboration with publishers and journals associated with the CSIRO Publishing network and academic presses.

Funding and Policy Challenges

Funding for projects is sourced from a mixture of state and federal grants, private philanthropy, and corporate partnerships involving entities like Queensland Rail, BHP, Rio Tinto, and utility partners. Policy challenges involve navigating legislation such as the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and state planning instruments including the Planning Act 2016 (Queensland), while responding to pressures from urban growth corridors like the Brisbane Metropolitan Area and climate change impacts reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Strategic responses require coordination with regional development bodies such as the South East Queensland Regional Plan and investment frameworks managed by organizations like the Infrastructure Australia.

Category:Environmental organisations based in Australia