Reef Catchments is proud to announce it has been awarded $9.6 million in grant funding through the Australian Government’s Reefwise Wetlands Program to deliver the Lagoon Creek Wetland Remediation Project, a large-scale wetland and riparian restoration initiative in the Proserpine sub-catchment of the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac region.
The project focuses on Lagoon Creek, a waterway that drains through farmland, riparian corridors and wetlands before reaching the ecologically significant Goorganga Plain wetland complex and Repulse Bay. Across the broader catchment, a combination of altered hydrology, wetland degradation, invasive weeds, erosion, and nutrient and sediment movement has impacted wetland function and downstream water quality, highlighting the importance of targeted rehabilitation and restoration efforts.
Working in partnership with Alluvium Consulting, local businesses and two adjoining landholders, Reef Catchments will oversee the design and implementation of coordinated wetland rehabilitation works, contributing to important improvements in water quality.
At the heart of the project is a 4.5 km treatment train spanning the two farms. Recommended by the Reef 2050 Wetlands Strategy, this whole-of-system approach uses a sequence of interconnected treatments to capture and filter agricultural runoff before it enters the creek and downstream wetland systems. Works will include:
- Construction of treatment wetlands to capture and treat runoff from surrounding farmland
- Installation of vegetated drains and grass buffer strips to slow water flow, reducing erosion and filter pollutants
- Streambank stabilisation targeting areas of active erosion along Lagoon Creek
- Revegetation of riparian corridors along Lagoon Creek, restoring approximately 13 ha of vegetation along the creek bank
- Wetland rehabilitation, including weed control targeting invasive Hymenachne and paragrass, and restoration of natural water flow regime.
The project will rehabilitate three wetland areas along Lagoon Creek. Together, the works aim to restore and enhance ecosystem function across 50 ha of wetland and riparian area and reconnect more than 60 ha of remnant native habitat.
The project area contains likely habitat for the Critically Endangered Eastern Curlew and Curlew Sandpiper, as well as other vulnerable migratory bird species, and for the Endangered Broad-leaf Tea-tree (Melaleuca viridiflora).
The project has a strong focus on landholder engagement, ensuring on-farm benefits, including improved drainage, irrigation water reuse and sediment management, support the long-term commitment of landholders to maintain the restored systems.
Truii Pty Ltd will also pilot Natural Capital Accounts for the participating farms, measuring the environmental and economic co-benefits of the project and exploring emerging environmental market opportunities.
The Lagoon Creek Wetland Remediation Project runs from February 2026 to March 2030 and is part of the Australian Government’s $1.2 billion investment over nine years to protect and restore the Great Barrier Reef, funded through the Government’s Reef Trust and contributing to Reef 2050 Plan priorities.