07-Feb-2011

SEQ Catchments has mobilised assessment teams to assist landholders with erosion and land management problems in the flood affected areas of South East Queensland. The teams will be able to provide advice and assistance to landholders whose properties experienced severe erosion during the floods.

A call desk has been set up at Ipswich (contact Ben Barton or Apani Woods on 07 38169721 or mobile: 0488 713340 or at bbarton@seqcatchments.com.au) to receive calls from affected landowners and collect preliminary property and damage details.

Six assessment teams have been set up to deal with call desk enquiries.- two in the Lockyer and one each in the Bremer, Logan and Mid and Upper Brisbane rivers.

The assessment teams comprise local SEQ Catchments’ staff who have expertise in catchment and watercourse protection and management. They will inspect damage with landowners and undertake a preliminary assessment of the extent of erosion, and assist landowners with initial restoration strategies.

Where assessment teams encounter severe erosion requiring complex restoration, SEQ Catchments will make senior soil conservation specialists available to undertake more detailed assessments. These specialists will be sourced from throughout the country to provide advice without cost to landowners.

SEQ Catchments CEO, Simon Warner, said: “We initially suspended our normal works to allow staff to assist communities in the clean up operations. We now find that a large number of landowners, particularly in the badly affected Lockyer and Bremer Valleys are turning to us for assistance in tackling severe erosion that has damaged our natural resources, farming infrastructure and the health of our streams and rivers.

“SEQ Catchments is acutely aware of the challenges facing landowners as they struggle to re-establish infrastructure and livelihoods following the floods.

“We want to assure farmers that we will work positively with them over the coming months and into the future to fit into their priorities and help remediate severe erosion.

“We will also ensure that Queensland Reconstruction Authority, led by Major General Michael Slater, is fully aware of the effort required to recover from the severe erosion experienced in South East Queensland” Mr Warner said.