Habitat Connections
Habitat Connections is a strategic creek rehabilitation program designed to beautify and restore degraded urban waterway corridors throughout Ipswich. This is being achieved through corridor tree planting, coupled with an ongoing maintenance program to ensure long lasting waterway improvements.
The program has been designed to provide the community with dedicated locations to take part in tree planting activities that will help improve the water quality of our waterways and habitat for local native fauna while forging strong community partnerships.
Members of the community can get actively involved at one of our tree planting events. Every tree will help make a difference to improving and preserving the health of our waterways. Visit Council’s news and events page to see any upcoming planting events (Link to calendar/news and events).
Habitat Connection Sites
Council have selected a number of tree planting sites to both enhance environmental outcomes of the area and offer the community and corporate groups new nature-based recreation opportunities. Special sites within these creek catchments have been selected that are suitable for community planting, including:
Riparian Corridor Revegetation
Native vegetation along banks plays a very important role in:
- the lifecycle of many native animals
- improves productivity of surrounding land
- decreased erosion
- improved water quality
- healthy ecosystems and restored biodiversity
- reduced flood damage
- increased property value
- food source for native animals and refuge during times of drought and fire
- improved soil fertility
- sediment control and filtration of nutrients
The land that adjoins, or directly influences a body of water is also known as riparian land and includes:
- land immediately alongside small creeks and rivers, including the river bank itself
- gullies and dips which sometimes run with water
- areas surrounding lakes and dams
- wetlands and river floodplains which interact with the river in times of flood
The vegetation that grows in this area is called Riparian Vegetation and is also known as a Riparian Corridor. These vegetated corridors act as the 'skin' that provides protection to a waterway, acting as a buffer between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and maintaining the health and viability of the waterway, by:
- holding bank soil in place and reducing the risk of bed and bank erosion
- filtering sediments and nutrients from surface run-off and groundwater
- regulating water temperature
- providing shade, shelter and organic matter for aquatic organisms, and
- 'shading out' exotic weed species
Riparian corridors are also an important socio-economic asset, providing an integral link between suburbs, supporting people movement, offering recreational opportunities and improving the visual amenity of the surrounding area.
Below are some helpful guides and links to improve waterways and riparian vegetation:
River Landscapes - restoring rivers and riparian lands
http://lwa.gov.au/programs/river-landscapes
The following series of Landholder Booklets is also available, to obtain a copy please contact Council on (07) 3810 6550:
- Living Cities - A Guide for Urban Landholders
- Living Acreage - A Guide for Rural Residential Landholders
- Living Country - A Guide for Rural Landholders