General project overview

Kedron Brook Flood Recovery FAQs

What is the DRFA Kedron Brook Riverine Recovery Project?

The project is an environmental recovery initiative designed to restore degraded sections of Kedron Brook that sustained severe erosion and channel disruption during the 2022 flood events. The initiative focuses on stabilising streambanks, restoring native riparian vegetation and improving the long-term ecological resilience and health of the waterway against future flooding events.

Why is this project important?

This section of the Kedron Brook was hit hard during the 2022 floods, with many areas of creek bank and riparian vegetation suffering significant damage from fast-moving floodwaters. Understanding the potential to restore this waterway, followed by on-ground action and intervention, will help reduce ongoing erosion, support impacted ecosystems, and improve the resilience of the reach to future flooding and rainfall events.

Why was this site selected for this project?

This area was earmarked for urgent review by the Queensland Government due to damage occurring during flooding events in 2021/2022. Reconnaissance of the site identified locations of streambank erosion within the reach, a legacy impact of the floods and symptomatic of historic and ongoing changes to Kedron Brook and the catchment over time.

The particular project site was considered by multiple departments and Healthy Land & Water to be a location that would benefit from environmental recovery efforts due to:

• Suitability of the channel for restoration and resilience works at multiple locations.
• Biodiversity and connectivity opportunities due to the proximity of parks and other green spaces and possible presence of threatened species and high value habitat and vegetation.
• Local community interest in driving locally informed and led actions.

Who is leading and funding the project?

The project is delivered by Healthy Land & Water - the peak environmental group for South East Queensland, with design and technical engineering support from Bligh Tanner. Funding and assistance is provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA), in partnership with the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) and the Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA).

What geographic area does the project cover?

The overall recovery focus spanned a 2-kilometre reach of Kedron Brook bounded by Dawson Parade and Osborne Road, across the suburbs of Keperra, Mitchelton, Everton Hills and Everton Park. Because the creek forms a municipal boundary, works span both the Brisbane City Council (BCC) and City of Moreton Bay (CoMB) jurisdictions. Three priority sites within the reach were selected for targeted recovery works. Although construction is concentrated in these areas, the works are designed to function collectively with natural channel processes, delivering benefits across the broader reach.

What will this project achieve?

The aim of the project is to improve waterway health by reducing streambank erosion, restoring riparian vegetation and building resilience to future flood and rain events. The environmental recovery will seek to benefit high-value vegetation and potential habitat for endangered or vulnerable wildlife species, with the intent to support healthy biodiversity and ecosystems within the reach and surrounding areas.

How is the overall project structured?

To address site complexity and regulatory requirements, the project was established across four distinct stages:

• Stage 1 (Completed March 2024): Detailed site investigations and geomorphological assessments.
• Stage 2 (Completed December 2024): Detailed engineering design and flood modelling.
• Stage 3 (Completed December 2025): Planning permits, environmental approvals and landholder access agreements.
• Stage 4 (July - December 2026): On-ground construction and site revegetation.

Stage 4 on-ground works & priority sites

What is Stage 4 and what does it involve?

Stage 4 is the active construction phase where engineering designs and environmental plans transition into visible, on-ground restoration along Kedron Brook. Works include bank reprofiling, installation of engineered fill, establishment of native timber pile fields, placement of large woody debris, rock toe construction and native revegetation.

Where are the priority work sites located?

On-ground works are concentrated across three high-priority locations along the creek corridor:

• Site A: Located near Oxford Grove Park.
• Site B: Located near Cribb Ave Footbridge.
• Site D: Located south-west of Boundary Park.

How were the priority sites selected?

Site selection was guided by rigorous scientific, geomorphological, and practical criteria, including:

• Severity of erosion and channel damage caused by 2022 flood events.
• Potential for strong ecological recovery and habitat reconnection.
• Hydrodynamic modelling, water energy levels and channel velocity dynamics.
• Existing soil composition, historical channel alignments and geomorphic trajectories.
• Construction feasibility, equipment access and regulatory approval requirements.
• Broader ecological and stability benefits for the entire Kedron Brook reach.

Does the project conduct work on private property, and what does the scope cover?

Yes, portions of the works at Sites B and D occur on private residential properties where formal landholder access agreements have been secured. Under DRFA guidelines, all works are strictly limited to environmental streambank recovery and channel stabilisation, including works within and on private land holdings. Funding cannot be used for repairing private infrastructure, garden landscaping, sheds, or residential buildings.

When are the Stage 4 works being delivered?

Delivery of Stage 4 works commenced in July 2026, with works to be completed by December 2026. This project schedule has considered and accounted for weather conditions and environmental impacts, taking practicable measures to ensure the maximisation of construction efficiency, ecological outcomes and delivery of the project within established contractual requirements.

Technical design & nature-based solutions

What are Nature-based Solutions and why are they being used?

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) work with natural landscape processes and ecological principles rather than using rigid, hard-engineered structures like concrete retaining walls. While concrete can create ongoing maintenance burdens and disrupt natural aquatic ecosystems, nature-based solutions provide structural stability during initial establishment while allowing living plant root systems to naturally bind and secure the banks long-term.

What specific resotration techniques are being installed along Kedron Brook?

The engineering designs by Bligh Tanner incorporate several key nature-based elements:

• Native timber pile fields: Interlocking rows of hardwood timber piles driven into the lower bank to slow flow velocities, hold bank toes in place, and redirect energy away from vulnerable areas.
• Large woody debris and root balls: Strategic positioning of logs and root structures within and near the creek channel to create crucial in-stream habitat for fish and aquatic species while absorbing flow energy.
• Bank reprofiling and engineered fill: Reshaping steep, vertical erosion gullies to gentler, stable slopes using compacted engineered fill to meet design levels.
• Rock toe protection: Placement of rock structures at the base of reprofiled banks to anchor the creek alignment and prevent toe undercut.
• Grade control structures: Rock-check or bed-grade protection halt the deepening or ‘incision’ process to prevent the waterway from becoming progressively deeper, wider and steeper.
• Coir matting and jute netting: Laying heavy, biodegradable matting over bare earth to prevent sediment runoff while root systems germinate.
• Dense native revegetation: Planting fast-establishing native grasses for rapid surface protection, alongside deep-rooting shrubs and trees for long-term structural integrity and biodiversity.

How long do Nature-based Solutions take to mature?

Structural elements like timber piles and rock toes provide immediate bank protection upon installation. As native grasses, shrubs and trees establish over a 2 to 3-year period, their root networks take over the primary role of binding the bank soil, resulting in a fully restored, self-sustaining riparian corridor.

Construction management & community impacts

What disruptions should nearby residents expect during construction?

While construction teams work to minimise local impact, residents may experience temporary disruptions between July and December 2026:

• Noise: Civil machinery, earthmoving equipment and pile-driving operations will generate noise during permitted operational hours.
• Traffic and access: Temporary equipment loading and material deliveries may affect localised street parking or pathway access near priority sites.
• Visual changes: Short-term presence of heavy excavators, bare soil and temporary safety fencing before revegetation takes hold.

How are environmental protection and water quality managed during works?

All on-ground operations adhere strictly to statutory development approvals and Environmental Management Plans. Contractors utilise sediment fences, coir controls and staged earthworks to prevent loose soil from entering the waterway, ensuring water quality and local wildlife are safeguarded throughout construction.

How does the project handle unforeseen operational challenges or site rectification?

Working in complex urban creek environments can occasionally present unforeseen operational challenges. Healthy Land & Water is committed to transparent, proactive communication and works directly with impacted landholders to rectify any unintended site disruptions promptly and restore areas to designated environmental standards.

Community engagement & contact details

Who can I contact if I have questions, concerns, or feedback?

Community members can reach out directly to the Healthy Land & Water project team through the following channels:

• Email: kedron.brook@hlw.org.au
• Phone: (07) 3177 9100
• Postal address: Level 11, 240 Queen Street, Brisbane QLD 4000

Where can I find regular project updates and educational resources?

Project webpage: https://www.hlw.org.au/get-involved/kedron-brook-home

Resource library: Factsheets, weeding and planting guides, and backyard restoration workbooks are available at https://hlw.org.au/get-involved/kedron-brook-resources.