Two Redland City Council waterways projects have been announced as finalists in the 2013 Healthy Waterways Awards.
Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said the short-listing of both award entries highlighted the great work Council and the community had done to improve the city’s waterways report card.
“Acknowledgement at these awards follows our 2012 Healthy Waterways Report Card that saw Redlands secure the best improvement in south-east Queensland,” Cr Williams said.
“We are in the running for the Sustainable Development Award with our Waterways Recovery Project and the Product and Manufacturing Award with our Floating Wetlands project.
“These projects are collaborations between Redland City Council, business, landowners and volunteers throughout the community and the success belongs to everyone involved.”
Redland City Council spokesperson for Environment, Waterways and Foreshores Cr Paul Gleeson said both projects were also eligible for the 2013 People’s Choice Award, which required people to go online and vote for their favourite waterways project.
“It would be great to see one of our two finalists also take out the 2013 Healthy Waterways People’s Choice Award,” Cr Gleeson said.
“The People’s Choice Award would be a fitting reflection on these two initiatives, as both have been successful due to community support and people choosing to work together to create healthier waterways and protect our bay.”
Those who vote can win one of five $200 Coles Myer Gift Vouchers. Healthy Waterways will announce a voucher winner each week on FaceBook until voting closes on 20 May 2013.
Council’s Waterways Recovery Project involves significant investment in monitoring and managing waterways, collaborating with key stakeholders and evaluating and reporting on a number of waterways’ initiatives throughout the city.
This includes monitoring water quality, undertaking targeted recovery works at water ‘hot spots’, supporting Bushcare repair works, working with partner organisations, reporting through water recovery reports and creating the Redland City Total Water Cycle Management Plan.
The Floating Wetlands Project is a trial to see how installing cost-effective ‘do-it-yourself’ floating wetlands on private water bodies (dams) and small-scale commercial artificial wetlands on Council water bodies would affect water quality.
The floating wetland preliminary results have been positive, showing a reduction in overall nutrient levels.
Vote for Redlands’ Healthy Waterways projects online at http://healthywaterwaysawards.org/award/peoples-choice-award/ and spread the word to support our efforts in protecting and improving South East Queensland’s waterways. Please note, only one vote per person will be counted.
The winners of the 2013 Healthy Waterways Awards will be announced on 31 May 2013.
An example of a small-scale commercial floating wetland on a Council owned water body at Buckler Court.
An example of community and council working together planting along Eprapah Creek, Victoria Point as part of National Tree Day last year.