Burnett Waterways like waterways everywhere are coming under increasing pressure to provide for industry, recreation, and the environment. Drought and sporadic rainfall events further exaggerate that pressure, leaving land managers and all water users with greater challenges to manager waterways sustainably.
Better Waterways invests in Rivercare activities, deals with the causal effects of Aquatic Weed, and mitigates Dryland Salinity. These actions compliment the BCCA’s Aquatic Weed management activities.
Rivercare
Rivercare activities will assist landholders better manage waterways by providing incentives for fencing, offstream watering points, and rehabilitation. Stream reaches that are in good condition and stream reaches of high value will be the priority for this investment.
Aquatic Weeds
Aquatic Weeds such as Salvinia, Hymenachne, and Water Hyacinth choke wateways creating hazards for stock, wildlife and humans, accelerating evaporation of the catchment’s most valuable resource, and threatening biodiversity.
Salinity
Salinity affects an estimated 3,550 ha in the Coastal Burnett and 4,500 ha in the Inland Burnett. Mitigation trials in the Viticulture and Grazing industries will give land managers better options for farming in a salinity prone landscape.