Environment Matters Spring/Summer 2022

Holding firm against flood Twice in 11 weeks the Bremer River rose and swallowed the Garden of Eden Bushcare site on its banks.

The volunteer group at Cribb Park in North Ipswich, led by Anthony Edwards, had a nervous wait while the peak of both floods passed in March and May 2022. The group have spent the past five years removing weeds and restoring and stabilising the banks with native plants with the assistance of Ipswich City Council. The native plants, selected for their strong root systems that can

withstand floodwaters, are planted close together to minimise erosion. “The impact is evident at Cribb Park. The smaller flood in 2021, and the major events experienced in 2022, have seen all the replanted areas survive and have helped to keep the riverbank together,” Mr Edwards said. What started as a small project to remove some weeds has turned into a bigger vision to restore the

riparian area along the Bremer River to increase flood resilience. “Because of human intervention, the health of the Bremer River has been degraded. The ecosystem has been changed, there is more erosion and weeds, and when Ipswich experiences floods these issues cause more

problems,” Mr Edwards said. “The restoration work we have

achieved, and are still undertaking, is critical to increase flood resilience.”

FIRE ANTS Ipswich is in a fire ant biosecurity zone. These painful pests use floodwaters to ‘raft’ downstream and colonise new areas. If you spot suspicious ants or nests see Fireants.org.au CASTOR OIL The toxic seeds of this common weed disperse widely during a flood. New infestations can establish quickly in waterway areas. GLYCINE This scrambling vine quickly establishes in the disturbed soil after a flood. It can rapidly spread over an extensive area, smothering grasses and understorey vegetation.

POST- FLOOD PESTS These invasive species are a real problem

Photo: National Fire Ant Eradication Program

Photo: National Fire Ant Eradication Program

across Ipswich after a flood.

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