The residents of Newmarket celebrated the completion of the Davidson Street Creek Restoration Project on Sunday 4 August. Healthy Land & Water, the Australian Government, and Brisbane City Council launched the Davidson Street Creek Restoration project in 2017 to restore a section of Enoggera Creek at Newmarket.

Community celebrates completion of Davidson St Creek Restoration

Davidson Street Creek Restoration Project

The restoration project has improved pedestrian access to the creek and works included extensive weeding, replanting of native species, construction of a stormwater soakage basin, and the installation of interpretive signage and habitat boxes. Nature play elements have also been introduced to provide kids and adults with opportunities to explore and learn about the local fauna and flora through play and interactive QR-code marker posts.

This project utilised a collaborative, community co-design process using Healthy Land & Water’s Living Waterways approach to urban water management.

The project serves as an example of how community, government, and industry can collaborate to improve and protect the environment and forge community stewardship and social cohesion.

“Co-design has been the driving force of this project. We worked hard to recognise the contributions of the people who will make use of this place and ensured that their needs and values were captured in every decision,” explains Julie McLellan, CEO of Healthy Land & Water.

With the rehabilitation of the site powered by community action to revegetate and restore the banks along Enoggera Creek, the site has once again established itself as a refuge for both residents and an increasing array of native wildlife.

“This project demonstrates why communities play an integral role in the design process and develops an understanding of the value and role of water-sensitive urban design,” Julie McLellan said.

This project was made possible through funding from the federal government. According to Trevor Evans, Federal Member for Brisbane, “the significant transformation of the site is a great credit to the many volunteers, community members and local organisations that have worked together on this key environmental project, led by Healthy Land & Water”.

According to Councillor Andrew Wines, Enoggera Ward, “the restoration project looks fantastic and is a huge improvement to local bushland and waterways”.

“Water going into the creek will be cleaner and the banks will be more stable. It will be a great place for the community to come together and improve our local area,” he said.