This document provides an overview of the Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee (B4C) and their efforts to preserve the Bulimba Creek catchment in Brisbane, Australia. B4C is a non-profit environmental group formed in 1997 that works with local communities and organizations on issues like habitat protection, erosion, weeds, and water quality. They lead revegetation efforts, weed control programs, environmental education initiatives in schools, and work with various partners and sponsors. B4C aims to involve the local community and raise awareness of threats to the local environment like urban development, land clearing, and inappropriate land uses.

1. General Information And Slideshow
Presentation
for Chinese Delegation from
Australia China Environment Development
Partnership
December 2009
Presented By : B4C
Bulimba Creek Catchment Coordinating Committee

2. Who Are We?
B4C
• Non profit environment group
• Formed in 1997
• Grass roots group in Brisbane Queensland
• Working to protect and enhance the urban
environment.
• Funding from Ecosystems Services Unit, special
purpose grants, sponsorship
South East Queensland
• is the fastest growing region in Australia
• is one of the most biodiversity rich areas of
Australia
Powerful Owl is a vulnerable species found in
natural reserves in our catchment

3. • Brisbane City comprises the Brisbane River
and over 30 creek catchments.
• 10 of these creek catchments have organised
catchment committees and are assisted with
paid coordinators by Brisbane City Council.
• The creek catchments are relatively small.
Bulimba Creek is 122 km2 and is the second
largest.

4. Catchments impacted by urban development,
tree clearing, damaging land uses and weeds.
Brisbane hasn’t been planned well and
infrastructure, services and inappropriate land
use, including filling and building on flood
plains and waterway corridors are a problem.
Oxbow area of the Bulimba Creek catchment

5. Bulimba Creek Catchment Map.
Covering areas including:
•Hemmant
•Tingalpa
•Carina
•Mansfield
•Rochedale
•Sunnybank

6. Problems Facing Catchments.
Human Impacts:
•Roads & Powerlines
•Tree Clearing – Habitat Loss
•Erosion
•Rubbish Dumping
• Weeds
•Mountain Bikes
•Domestic animals
•Fire
•Pollution
•4wd Vehicles

7. HUMAN IMPACTS: Roads And Powerlines
Infrastructure often follows the green corridor

8. 2007-9 Infrastructure Developments
in Bulimba Creek Catchment
Port of Brisbane Motorway Stage 2
Gateway Motorway Upgrade
Eastern Busway
Scrub Road extension
Western Corridor Recycled Pipeline
Brisbane Aquifer Project
Salisbury to Kuraby Rail extension
Powerlink upgrade in middle & lower catchment

9. HUMAN IMPACTS: Land Clearing
Bushland habitat is cleared for housing, industry,
roads, rail, power and water.
Loss of habitat adversely affects fauna & flora.

10. HUMAN IMPACTS: Bike Riding
Mountain bikes can cause enormous erosion
problems that affect habitat and water quality.

11. HUMAN IMPACTS: 4WD Vehicles
Before
rehabilitation
Uncontrolled recreation uses can cause erosion and
habitat loss, affecting water quality.
After
rehabilitation

12. Weeds
Weeds in bushland are mainly from garden
escapees, dispersal of seeds by animals, wind
and water.
Planting natives enhances habitat.

13. Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?
Community Involvement From:
• Strategic Planning – lobbying governments
• Environmental Services Unit
• Revegetation & Rehabilitation
•Weed Control
• Bushcare
• Community Nursery
• Water testing
• Displays and public education.
Collection of rubbish from area near Hemmant quarry reserve
with bushcare

14. Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?
LANDWATCH
• Strategic Planning – lobbying governments
• Letters and meetings with local, state and federal
government representatives
• Protecting bushland from development
• Protecting waterways
• Reporting incidents (tree clearing, special fauna
sightings, fauna deaths)
• Planning meetings for bikeways, sewer alignment,
flood taskforce, park landscaping

15. Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES UNIT
• Revegetation & Rehabilitation
• Weed Control
Cut and paste
to kill vines
Plants established and guarded.
One year on.
Erecting a fence to
keep wallabies away
from new plants

16. Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?
CORPORATE TREE PLANTING
Lenards volunteers planted 880
native species in one day Westpac Bank Volunteers spreading mulch
for weed control
Corporate volunteers have assisted with
weed control and tree planting for many
years. We run about 6 days per year with
groups referred through Landcare.
Price Waterhouse Coopers volunteer digging holes for plants

17. Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?
BUSHCARE
Clearing lantana before
planting native species
Creating habitat for wildlife
Habitat Brisbane groups across Brisbane care for bushland and
waterway corridors in Council-owned areas. Groups range in size
from 5 to 40 members who generally work for 2 hours per month.

18. Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?
COMMUNITY NURSERY
Volunteers collect
seed and propagate
over 20,000 native
plants each year to
be planted in public
and private land and
schools
Rare plant Zieria
propagated and
planted at Belmont
Nursery area has been planted
with natives to show residents
how it will grow

19. SOUTHSIDE
SUSTAINABILITY CENTRE
Objectives
• Create a learning centre devoted to the
teaching of the principles of sustainability
• Provide an easily accessible display centre
that promotes the use of sustainable
technologies
• Provide a benchmark for not-for-profit
environmental organisations trying to effect
behavioural change in the community
• Provide a safe and educational facility for
volunteers
• Create a native and indigenous permaculture
community garden

20. SOUTHSIDE SUSTAINABILITY CENTRE
Sponsors, Partners and Supporters
Powerlink own the site
Brisbane City Council Grant for Solar Panels
Assistance with Community Garden
State Government Low Carbon Diet Grant – workshops
Federal Government Water Grant for tanks to collect rain water
Caltex $3000 per year over 3 years for nursery
Transfield Services $2000 per year over 3 years for nursery
Landcare Holden $5000 for 2 years for permaculture area
Western Corridor Pipeline $10000 to renovate building

21. Who Works To Preserve Our Catchment?
WATER TESTING
Regular testing for water quality
monitors oxygen levels, dissolved
salts, pH, turbidity and phosphorus

22. Waterweed Removal
Water hyacinth chokes the wetlands
Volunteers from schools and
corporate groups as well as
B4C have been battling the
hyacinth problem at Tingalpa
for ten years

23. Community Involvement
BEFORE DURING
Salvin Park Rehabilitation at Carindale
Over 5000 plants in 5 years
AFTER
September 2005

24. B4C Education Programs
• Extensive program of presentations and field tours
• Approximately 800 students involved in 2008
• Primary, secondary and tertiary education
• Twinning Days with 4 primary schools,
rotating through 4 environmental activities
• Community days and presentations to organisations
- National Tree Day, Weed Buster Week,
Clean Up Australia Day, Threatened Species Week
• Twinning Program involving schools in Brisbane,
Gulf schools and France

25. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Senior School Science
- Natural regeneration
of mangroves
Tree planting in schools
Wildlife
presentation
How to throw a boomerang

26. TWINNING PROJECT
• Dream River Art Project
• Healthy Food Gardens project
- secured funding from Sidney Myer Foundation,
Landcare Australia , Pat Purcell MP, International
River Foundation, Brisbane City Council
- set up vegetable gardens and fruit orchard in
Doomadgee, Gregory River, Burketown, Mt Petrie
& Tingalpa

27. TWINNING PROJECT – Dream River Art
Dream River Calendar now in its
second year. Art from students from
Thailand, France, Brisbane and
northern Australia.
Sharing children’s thoughts and
dreams about a healthy environment.
Tingalpa, Brisbane
Thailand France

28. Bulimba Creek Environment Fund
• Registered fund for accepting donations
• Tax deductible status
• Purpose is to raise funds to
enhance and protect natural areas through
• Educational initiatives
• Research
• On ground rehabilitation
• Lobbying governments

29. RECOGNITION OF OUR EFFORTS
2009 Landcare Queensland - Urban Landcare Award
2005 National Thiess River Prize
2005 Healthy Waterways Award – Community Group in SE Qld
2004 Healthy Waterways Award – Community Group in SE Qld
2004 Australia Day Award – Community Group in Mansfield Electorate
2003 Healthy Waterways Award – Community Group in SE Qld
2001 Landcare Queensland – Community Group Award
2005 2004
2009

30. From:
Your Presenter Will Now
Answer Any Questions You
May Have!
www.bulimbacreek.org.au
b4c@bulimbacreek.org.au