Fitzroy River Water Quality Improvement Project

Service: 16,667t/yr sediment export savings from grazing properties in the Fitzroy, improving water quality flowing to the Great Barrier Reef.

Client: Great Barrier Reef Foundation

Location: Fitzroy catchment

Start: 2020

Completion: 2024

Fitzroy River, Central Queensland

The Fitzroy Water Quality Project is Verterra’s largest project to date, providing a novel solution to water quality improvement that combines grazing improvement with ecosystem service market opportunities such as carbon farming and reef credits administered through 3rd parties.

The project specifically targeted cost-effective abatement of fine sediment export to the Reef through rehabilitation of alluvial gully erosion, in combination with grazing land management practice change on a neighbourhood catchment basis, with practice change need identified by spatial modelling of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). 

This built on work carried out by Verterra and Alluvium in development of proven, cost-effective approaches to gully and streambank erosion, and delivery of substantial sediment savings through projects such as Mt Wickham alluvial gully rehabilitation (part of the NQ Dry Tropics “Landholders Driving Change” project) and the Fitzroy Basin Association’s Celebrating Resilient Rivers and Communities project streambank rehabilitation works on the Lower Fitzroy River.  

Verterra’s project delivery comprised a holistic approach to land restoration with cumulative sediment saving benefits on a whole-of-sub-catchment basis.  

Land Rehabilitation Sector Lead, Dave Waterson (centre), with FWQP property owners Matt and Kristie Lisle (right)