30-Sep-2011

The Sunshine Coast Rivers Initiative was awarded the 2011 Australian National Riverprize worth $195,000 at 14th International River Symposium this week.

This Initiative is a collaboration of over 30 community groups and government agencies, led by Sunshine Coast Council, dedicated to better management of waterways in the Sunshine Coast region.

There has been an impressive collection of achievements as part of the initiative, including improvements to creek-side vegetation, in-stream habitat, and land management practices as well as range of waterway health planning and research projects.

SEQ Catchments is proud to be part of the collaboration for most of the last decade by actively supporting the community groups with community water quality and seagrass monitoring programmes, riparian and landslip restoration works, improving farm practices and training opportunities.

SEQ Catchments Community Partnerships Manager for the Sunshine Coast, Susie Chapman, applauds the Initiative for its collaborative work to protecting and improving the Sunshine Coast’s waterways.

“The Sunshine Coast has a very productive and functional team in natural resource management which has gathered collective momentum over a long period,“ she said.

“It does, however, require a council with great leadership and respect for its community to be able to achieve an accolade like this.”

The Riverprize rewards, recognises and supports those who have developed and implemented outstanding, visionary and sustainable programs in river management. Prize money will be used to fund innovative and catalytic waterway management and improvement projects across the Sunshine Coast.

For more information on the Sunshine Coast Rivers Initiative click here.