Cattle Creek Restoration Project

a reach scale approach to riverine restoration

The Project

Title:  Cattle Creek – A reach scale approach to riverine restoration
Duration: 2025-2028
Funding: Queensland Government – Natural Resource Management Expansion Program (NRMEP).

The Cattle Creek Restoration Project is part of the Queensland Government’s $117.84 million Natural Resource Management Expansion Program (NRMEP). Delivered in collaboration with Natural Resource Management Regions Queensland (NRMRQ), the program expands the capacity of regional NRM organisations to deliver on-ground land, water and biodiversity programs across the state.

Summary: This program will deliver on-ground remediation activities to stabilise heavily degraded sections of the Cattle Creek system while also enhancing its water quality, habitat and biodiversity, and waterway function and health.

Objective:
Improve the health and functioning of Cattle Creek by implementing reach scale remediation works. The project will target an 8km reach of Cattle Creek for streambank remediation while also implementing improvement of 8 hectares of native vegetation condition. Implementing these activities in conjunction will aim to increase Cattle Creeks health, protect valuable agricultural land and improve the system’s ability to resist damage during floods and extreme weather events.

Priorities

Located within the Mackay Region, the Cattle Creek system is a major tributary of the Pioneer River. The health and stability of Cattle Creek have been shaped by a combination of human activities and extreme weather events. In recent years, 2017 Cyclone Debbie hit the region causing significant damage and riverine flooding. The following year saw widespread vegetation loss caused by regional bushfires which was followed by heavy rainfall in the 2019 Monsoon Trough triggering large-scale erosion along unstable, poorly vegetated streambanks.

Eroded bank along cattlle creek — One of the eroded sites along Cattle Creek, the loss of riparian vegetation has allowed erosion and growth of exotic grasses.

The Cattle Creek system is integral to the Finch Hatton community, supporting its 531 residents and enabling cattle grazing and cane farming. It also underpins ecotourism along the creek and into Finch Hatton Gorge, while providing critical habitat for local biodiversity, including the platypus.

Map of Cattle Creek project area — Cattle Creek reach area along which the streambank repairs and revegetation works will occur.

Project Strategy

Following a prioritisation study of active and vulnerable erosion areas, community and consultant consultation, Reef Catchments had identified several high priorities sites throughout the 8km of Cattle Creek. At these locations, in consultation with the landholders, the areas will be repaired, stabilised and revegetated to improve the overall system’s health.

Dependant on the site requirement the Cattle Creek restoration project will utilises several streambank restoration methods, including but not limited to:

Engineered works using graded rock to stabilise erosion hotspots and improve streambank integrity

Installation of woody material to slow water velocity which includes both root balls and timber piles

Revegetation and weed control to strengthen riparian connectivity and resilience

Expected project benefits

Protection of agricultural land – improving streambank stability along Cattle Creek will reduce ongoing erosion and help prevent the loss of productive agricultural land.

Reducing sediment runoff entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon – improved streambank stability will reduce the mobilisation of fine sediments, decreasing sediment loads entering the Great Barrier Reef lagoon.

Improving terrestrial and aquatic habitat – Streambank restoration will include the installation of in-stream woody habitat, providing refuge and breeding habitat for aquatic species, including the platypus. Riparian revegetation will also create important habitat for native birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and fungi.

Enhancing vegetation connectivity – Riparian revegetation will strengthen connectivity between existing vegetation patches, supporting the movement of native wildlife along the Cattle Creek corridor.

Done image of a healthy proportion of cattle creek — Example of healthy potion of Cattle Creek. The riparian vegetation is established and protects adjacent agricultural land from erosional damage.

This is an exciting project to restore and protect an important area of natural beauty and productive agricultural land in the Mackay Region. Contact Reef Catchments Waterways team for more information about the project.

E: team.waterways@reefcatchments.com

P: (07) 4968 4200