Experts to discuss a safer SEQ through Healthy Land & Water
The beauty and health of South East Queensland’s waterways, landscapes, and wildlife – as well as the safety of communities against extreme weather events – were the subjects of a symposium at Parliament House today.
The Healthy Land & Water Symposium discussed ways to build a more resilient environment for Queenslanders and explored solutions that would strengthen landscapes and waterways in the face of increasing pressures such as pollution and population growth.
The beauty and health of South East Queensland's waterways, landscapes, and wildlife - as well as the safety of communities against extreme weather events - were the subjects of a symposium at Parliament House today.
The symposium also marked the launch of a new organisation called Healthy Land & Water, which has resulted from the merger of two of Queensland’s leading natural resource management groups – Healthy Waterways and South East Queensland Catchments.
“With the 2011 and 2013 floods still fresh in the minds of many, along with recent cyclones, bushfires, and heat waves, the link between a healthy environment and the safety of communities is more obvious than ever,” Julie McLellan, CEO of Healthy Land & Water said.
“Today’s symposium was a chance for policy makers and business leaders to get together with experts in water and landscape health to discuss the state of South East Queensland’s natural assets, the resilience of the region to extreme weather events, and solutions to local pressures like soil erosion, pollution, and wildlife declines.”
Healthy Land & Water is a new company, offering expertise in environmental research, monitoring and evaluation, and in the delivery of on-ground programs that improve the health and resilience of South East Queensland’s natural assets.
Its focus is on delivering evidence-based solutions to the region’s most pressing environmental challenges, with particular emphasis on the health of the region’s waterways and landscapes.
“This new entity will help to safeguard the places we love while protecting jobs, local economies, and lifestyles by providing real-world solutions that bring tangible benefits to communities and ecosystems,” Ms McLellan said.
